His Cimmerian View
by WeeKittyAndTAT
Summary: At 13 Bella is left to care for her siblings. 5yrs later she still struggles to provide for them. Edward is a professor at UW, who thinks all women are users and liars. When paths cross, what happens when Bella is just another female who lied. AH/OOC/18
1. Chapter 1

**His Cimmerian View**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. TeamAllTwilight, and me WeeKitty are co-writing this story. We would like to say thank you to the BETA's: Jess2002, and MustangMel1968. Big thanks to Sarah, Lovinmybabyz4, and Jessica J., for pre-reading it.<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Through His Eyes<strong>

***EPOV***

"For your next assignment remember to use correct grammar. I want full sentences, punctuation, and use capital letters where needed. This assignment is a. . ."

_Ring. . .Ring_

I am interrupted by the class bell telling the students that the class is over. I look to see half the class trying to make a swift exit. Fuck! They just don't learn! They wouldn't be coming to summer school if they would just do their work and use some patience. "Back to your seats," I yell as I switch off the projector. "I have not excused you yet, sit back down, now!"

I ignore all the groans and slam my hand on the table to silence the room. "Now that I have your attention again, I want a five thousand word essay on any story of your choice. Once you choose a story, you will submit to me the title of the book. You will use that story and change something about it. Add or take out something that would change the story if it were yours. Think about which part you would change. It can be anything, but explain to me, in writing, what you're changing, and why. You then have four weeks to fully write out your changes; how they would affect the story, and the outcome of your changes. This will count for fifty percent of your final grade. You could pick _Wuthering Heights, _making Catherine a nicer person. You could show her as being less spiteful and arrogant or you could change her life by having her marry Heathcliff. Maybe Heathcliff decided to fight for her to have and keep her. Then show how those changes affect the story. By all means, use creativity in your story choice, reaching beyond even the example I showed you today. On your way out hand in your quiz sheet; you are now excused."

I watch them come up and place their sheets on my desk. It's the second week of the summer holiday, and I am already regretting agreeing to teach summer classes. I am teaching the English classes for those who have not received enough credits or are falling too far behind to graduate.

I have gotten to know most of the class, but there is one or two I'm still not familiar with yet; like this girl who is now in front of me. She is one of the youngest students in the class, and according to her records; she still has a year to go in high school. She is quiet and shy, doesn't talk much in class, and likes to stay hidden. She wears that hoodie all the time, and never removes the hood from her head. I think I will speak with her soon to see how she is getting along.

I love books, and have always loved to read. Becoming an English teacher was the best choice of a career for me. I get great enjoyment from teaching, but there are some students who make me regret being a teacher. Where that one girl is quiet, does the work I ask of her and is clearly here to learn, I have some students who have so much money, they assume they can skate by and buy their way into graduation. Then, there are the flirters, who think they can sleep their way to graduation. No one will sleep or pay their way through my class, ever!

The flirting bothers me more than the people who throw money around. If it is not the trampy girls, it is their mothers. Sometimes it is a combination of both the student flirting and Dads throwing money around. I hate when I have to deal with it all, but I bite my tongue and nicely inform them of the way things are, and how they will never be. It only took the first week of classes this summer to show people that my class runs my way only. There are two choices, my way or the highway. I will fail students who deserve it, and have before; I don't care who their parents are.

I rub my hands across my face; it's already six in the evening. I had eight full classes today, and I am so glad to be getting out of here. On Fridays and Mondays, I have eight classes. On the other days, I only have six. Today is Friday; I am just about to leave when I hear the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you teach, but couldya' look at this for me?"

Oh, for the love of God! At least a dozen times already today I have had to deal with flirters; and here is the number one most horrid culprit of the flirts I deal with. I rub my eyes, and look up. Leaning over my desk, with her fake double D's all but hanging out of her shirt, stands Lauren Mallory. Her shirt must be two sizes too small, and she is batting her eyes at me.

"You gave me an _I_ for my grade; I don't even know what the _I_ means. I think you made a mistake. Perhaps we can work it up to an _A_?" She asks suggestively, as she moves her hand up her body.

"Miss Mallory, the only reason you received an _I_ was because you had addressed the assignment to me personally. Your assignment was to write a letter to a soldier. The _I_ stands for "incomplete". In order to give you an _F_, which it deserved, you would have had to try to do the actual assignment. Instead, you wrote me a note telling me what you would like to personally do to my body. After that inappropriate stunt, there is no way that you will be earning an _A_; not even if you actually do the assignment. The absolute best you can obtain will be a _C_. Now, for the last time, get off my desk and go home. Start doing the work I assign to you, or you will fail." I let out a sigh as she looks at me dumbly. "Miss Mallory, you only have two months to get this right. Stop this nonsense and flirting, or you won't be graduating and heading to college. If you come to me pulling one of these stunts again, I will fail you. Do you understand?" I say to her, as if I am talking to a toddler.

"But I could help you with any problem. . ."

Her words are cut short by the opening of the door. I see one of the night cleaning staff coming in. Thank goodness, saved by the janitorial service. Miss Mallory seems to think I will have an affair with her. She is clearly delusional. Don't get me wrong, I know it happens. I personally know of some professors, who give better grades for certain "accommodations," but I will never be one of those teachers. Miss Mallory, or anyone else for that matter, will only pass my class by doing the work, and doing it well.

"I am sorry to interrupt Professor Masen, would you like me to come back later on?" I watch as the cleaning staff girl lingers in the doorway.

Lauren huffs loudly. "Yes, you stupid. . ."

I jump up cutting her off. "No, come in please." I give her a nod as she comes in. "Miss Mallory, she has a job to do, and I have had enough of this. Your grade is now an _F_. You can just repeat the class again as far as I am concerned. Third time is a charm, or so they say."

"What? Please no, don't, please…I tried hard, but my dad went ape-shit that I failed again. Please, I will stop, and do the work, please?" She tries giving me those sad, puppy eyes. I laugh to myself, they don't work on me. None of the cutesy, girly shit works on me anymore, I am immune.

"Fine, you have an _F_ right now. I guess that means you have to work four times as hard as anyone else in this class to try and pass. Starting now," I say and motion her to leave. She nods, and leaves the classroom.

I look up to see the cleaning person has just about finished the classroom. "Don't touch my board! It has work on it, and I need it for Monday's class," I say. I am looking at her, but she doesn't acknowledge me at all. Fucking women are all the same, either on your ass like white-on-rice or stuck up. I count to ten to get my temper under control, before moving over to her. I touch her arm, making her jump and bang into the table.

I notice the fear she automatically shows. "I am sorry. . .um, sorry, did you want something Professor Masen?" She asks, taking the ear buds out of her ears. I can hear words coming from the ear buds; she must be listening to a book. At least it's not that raunchy music most of these kids are listening to.

I see she is still waiting for me to tell her what I want, so I clear my throat.

"Please don't touch my whiteboards. I need them kept like they are for Monday. The last time I put up a note to not clean them, but they were wiped clean and washed anyway. Just leave them alone if there is writing on them and I will manage it myself, okay?" I ask, as she nods her head. I am struck by the worry in her deep brown eyes, so I smile slightly as I gather my things and leave the room.

I don't know why I do this shit during the summer. I work at the University of Washington and have been a professor there, in the English department, for four years. I am one of the youngest professors at UW; having just turned twenty-eight. Three years ago, I started doing English summer classes for the Seattle school district. I help shape all the rejects, and failing students. I love teaching and I love literature, I suppose that is why I agreed to teach this summer program. At least it is held here on campus. High school buildings are not a favorite of mine, by any means.

Back in high school, I was not the popular choice of the girls. Around my senior year I started getting noticed more and more. I dated a few girls around the end of high school, and there were a few in college. For the most part, those weren't serious relationships, and ended as quickly as they started. I found as I became more desirable to the opposite sex, that they either wanted me for my looks, my money, or both. Sadly, I have met my fair share of the one's that were just after my money. It crushed me when I found out I was being described as boring. I now have no desire for a relationship, as they bring nothing but pain. I am a firm believer that there is no woman out there for me.

In college I met a woman, and fell in love with her. I thought she was everything, but I found out that I was nothing more than a meal ticket for her. Things between Tanya and I ended on a bad note, and I haven't allowed myself the freedom of trying again. You know the old saying: "shit on me once, shame on you, shit on me twice, shame on me"? Well I learned my lesson; I was never going to carry that shame. After that, I pretty much gave up dating at all.

However, I am a man and have needs, so I now pay for those needs to be met. So off I go to Il Mio Amore. It's a high-end club that meets the needs of people in certain lifestyles in Seattle. The club is owned by Aro Volturi, and every month I pay him eight thousand dollars. That payment allows me the pleasure of having three hours, twice a week with one of the girls of my choice. Yes, it is prostitution; however, I have no worries of unwanted attachments.

I have been doing this for the past four years. I've been lucky to keep the same girls at my service, not that anyone of them knew it. Aro's club is one of the best, and he keeps his playthings drug and disease free. There are very stringent guidelines for the testing process, not only for the girls, but the clients as well. Every six months as a client, you must see the club doctor, who draws your blood himself. The playthings are tested monthly, and results are shown to me before each visit.

Each of the rooms at the club is set up to meet each of the clients' needs or desires. The girls chosen for each time are aware of what will take place inside the room before it happens. If there is any apprehension, Aro would not allow them to be involved. The girls are well-protected and have many ways of calling for help if needed. No one can see inside the room, however there is a listening device, and if a girl needs help she is able to safe word. If a gag is something a client wants, then the girl is outfitted with a buzzer.

The girls I work with are all on a safe word system with me as well as green, yellow, and red. When I first came to Aro, I was interested in the fact that he could provide me with a submissive-type girl. I have rules, and Aro has made sure each of the four girls I use know them. My rules are in no way out there, but I am clear on the things I do and don't want. The girls must wear a blind fold; I will never allow them to see me. I want to be in total control, hence the domination. No kissing on the mouth or touching me, unless I have told them to do so. As for the sex, it changes depending on what has been happening in my life.

There are times when I am stressed, and need to fuck hard and fast. There are other times when I like to tease and enjoy a lot of foreplay first. But everything I do, has been pre-arranged with the girl. I would never be brutal, or hurt someone. Just because all the women in my personal life have used and abused me, doesn't mean I will abuse anyone else. I am not like them.

When I set this all up, Aro went through pictures of the girls that fit my specifications. Initially I picked eight different women from the portfolio. He met with each of the women and described to them my requirements and desires. He explained that it was extremely important to me to remain anonymous. It took a month of negotiations, mainly because I did not want the girls to see me. I would rather they didn't learn my identity. I wanted no surprises outside of the club. I knew that there would be a decent chance some of the girls could be students on the campus of UW. The last thing I want is to pay for sex from a student, and have her waltz into my classroom.

My list was quickly narrowed down to the four I see now. I like that Aro treats his playthings well, most of them take home sixty-five percent of their earnings. Some of the girls could be richer than me by now. I know that some people wonder why I don't just pick up a random girl. I mean I am good-looking enough and get plenty of offers, but that leads to stalkers, or them coming back wanting more. Also, it isn't like I can take them home, tie them up, fuck them how I like, and toss them out. I know the cops would be at my door before the sun is up. This way I know the girl knows the deal, and is enjoying it as much as me. Most of the time, whoever I am with on a club night, doubles me in orgasms. I have yet to have one of the girls I am with call _red_.

Mondays and Fridays mean club visits for me, so on those mornings, I call Aro to let him know what I'll need for the evening. In turn, he sends me an email by noon, telling me which girl and the number of the room we'll occupy for the evening. On the first Friday of each month, I drop by his office to pay him. I sometimes like to dabble in role play, and when I have a desire to indulge in that particular activity, I just let them know what I want, and it is set up for me. There is never any negotiating the price; I pay a flat rate no matter what I want from the girls. I like that the girls are always in the room awaiting my arrival. They are always blindfolded before I enter, and I am grateful to the highly-paid security guards that help prep the girls. Everyone knows me by Anthony at the club. It is my hope that by using my middle name, my true identity will be less likely to be discovered. Tonight I will be seeing Sally. Sally is twenty-seven and tall, with naturally red hair, and a very curvy body. She wears about a size sixteen, but her curves are a huge turn-on for me.

After paying Aro, I make my way to room thirteen. I love this room; it is set up much like you would see in any standard BDSM playroom. I see that Garrett is awaiting my arrival.

"Anthony, how are you my friend?" He asks, offering his hand to me.

"Very well Garrett. Is Sally ready for me this evening?"

Garrett nods, and I step inside the small changing room that is provided outside of each room. I quickly change into the black, button fly jeans waiting for me, and nothing else. I hang up my clothes, and hand Garrett the usual tip I give him each visit. He opens the door for me, and I step inside.

Everything is perfect. Sally is kneeling on the floor, her knees shoulder-width apart. I can see she is clean-shaven, just the way I like my girls. Her long, red hair is tied back in a French braid down her back. Her leather blindfold is covering her eyes, and I can see it is a snug fit, not allowing any light in. I move over and stand directly in front of her.

"Well Sally, you look very delectable kneeling there waiting for my cock. Would you like to suck my cock? It's hard for your hot, little mouth."

I watch her, knowing she will not mess up. I still love testing her. Sally would be a Dom's dream come true if she were a full-time submissive. I, however, only enjoy this submissive side when I want hard and fast pleasure. I know that I will enjoy the five or six orgasms I will give her. I know how good her mouth feels, and I can't wait to rock my hardness down her throat. I stroke my hand across the top of her head, and grab her long braid.

"You may use your hands to free my cock. I am going to deeply fuck your hot, little mouth. My cock will be down your throat on each and every stroke. What is your color, my little Sally-slave?"

"Green," she replies.

I pull her hair and bring her higher on her knees, so that her mouth is at the perfect angle. Her hands find the buttons on my jeans and she quickly opens them wide. Her hands do not touch my cock yet, just work the jeans open so her hot mouth can find my cock. Once she tugs them a little, my cock springs free and smacks her on the chin. I wrap her long braid around my hand, at the same time her ruby red lips open around the tip of my cock. Without any warning, I thrust deeply into her waiting mouth. I love that she has no gag reflex, and I am able to really thrust in. Pulling her braid taut, I pull her mouth toward me, as I thrust. Every third stroke, I hold her tight against me for a count of three. I have her face so deeply buried against my groin, her nose is flattened down. One thing I _really_ enjoy about Sally is the fact I can outright fuck her face.

For twenty-eight, I have wonderful stamina and I am able to recover quickly. I was seriously in need of a release tonight. After almost fifteen minutes, I finally shoot my wad down her throat. Sally licks me clean and when I pull her away she licks her lips as well. "What a good little cock-sucker you are. I think I will have to have you stand now, my little Sally-slave." I watch her as she moves to her feet. Some people would call her fat, but her curves are kick ass. Sally does have some thickness here and there, but she is proportioned wonderfully. I take her hand and lead her over to the bench across the room. I help direct her onto the bench, and hand her the straps for her to hold onto, they will help hold her in place. Sally knows what I want, and I know she likes it from the smile on her face. I remove my jeans all the way, and move to the end of the bench. I place each of her feet into the leather straps that will help her keep her legs bent at the right angle. I pull her ass down the bed a little so her cheeks are hanging off just the right amount. I spend a little time pinching her rose-colored, peaked nipples. I know how much she enjoys things like nipple clamps and I grab the pair that is sitting out waiting for me to use on her. After I twist her nipples roughly, to help prepare them for the bite of the alligator clamp, I let them grip her pebbled skin. Once I have the clamps on her nipples, I drag the attached chains down and let them drag through her moistness. I lay a chain in the crease between her labia and thigh on each side of her glistening pussy. I know when I start thrusting into her the thrusts will lightly tug on the chains. I can see she is ready for me. I take a hold of my cock and slap it down hard against her clit. Once I have teased her several times, I move the head to her opening.

"I plan to fuck your pussy for the next two hours and seventeen minutes. You may orgasm at will. I want to hear you while I fuck you. It will be hard and rough, and I will not stop until I get my fill. What is your color?"

"Green," she moans out as I pound into her as hard as I can.

**~*HCV*~**

I wake with a jolt, as my alarm blares out at six in the morning. I head down to my gym to work out. It's Saturday, so no school today. On the days I don't go to Aro's, I work at my restaurant. I have a decent work crew, and I enjoy the fact that I can trust my key employees. I bought the place because it held happy memories for me.

My childhood was very jaded; but when I had some good times and happy memories with my mother, they seemed to happen here. My parents and I would come here twice a week to eat. After my father passed away, my mother and I would come here every once in a while. My mother didn't have many good days, so going anywhere was something that didn't happen often.

I opened up my restaurant, Midnight Sun, about two years ago. When I found out that the previous owner was closing down, I knew I had to buy it. I don't know if it was to keep a hold of the happy memories that I had here, or the hope that one day my mom would come back and eat here. My chest hurts just thinking about it. Arriving at the restaurant and seeing the place that I have kept the same as it has always been, makes me feel better.

I head to my office to check on the paper work. I've been here for about two hours, when I hear the staff start to come in. Everyone who knows me, knows when the office door is shut, I am to be left alone. So, I am surprised as the door opens and a young woman walks in.

"Hi, sorry to interrupt you, but I think I left my phone in here yesterday. You're Mr. Masen, the owner, right?" I raise my head and nod at her. She is just like every other woman out there. As she stands here eye-fucking me, I clear my throat. Her eyes snap back to my face, and she puts on what I am sure she thinks is a seductive smile. When I don't feed into her attempt to look appealing, she reaches her hand forward to shake mine. "Katie, I'm Katie. It's so good to meet you Mr. Masen."

I grind my teeth together to try to restrain myself from shouting at her. "Katie what is your cell number?" I say in a rather harsh-sounding voice. She blushes, grabs my pen from my hand and writes it on a piece of paper on my desk. She stands there watching me, as I grab the office phone and dial her number. I sigh as the ringing sounds come from inside her pocket. She looks like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

"One, do not come in to my office without knocking or without being invited in. Two, if the door is closed that means that even if the world is ending, and aliens have invaded the earth do not fu…" I swallow the swear word back, "bother me. The only person who I allow to do that is Taylor; if you have any issues take them to him. Third, and most importantly, I don't date and I am far from interested in playing flirting games. I will also never date you, or any other girl who works for me. Now, you clearly have your phone, and I am busy. If this happens again you will be out of a job. Get to work; you can start by completely scrubbing the bathrooms clean. Get busy, and close the door on your way out!"

I hate when we have to hire new staff. It doesn't take long for people to learn the rules, and most are smart enough to listen to the warnings that I know they are given when they are hired by Taylor. I usually have more males working here than females, because there tends to be less drama with men. Out of my staff of twenty-five, only six of them are female at the moment. I find that most of the women I have working for me are loyal, though. I think it helps that most of them are married and have families of their own. I am really glad that situations like the one with Katie don't happen often.

I call Taylor and Eric into my office, using the intercom system. Taylor was the acting manager, when the previous owner sold the business to me. I kept him on, and he acts as my general manager. He is also the maître d, during the evening shifts. Eric is the head chef and also a valued employee who came with the purchase of the business. When they enter, we run though this week's specials. Eric finishes his side of the meeting first to return to the kitchen. Once he is gone, Taylor and I go through schedules and job duties for the week. After we finish, I head off to stock the bar and take inventory. Taylor leaves the office to deal with the wait staff, and I know Eric already has his kitchen staff in shape for the coming week before our meeting.

I was insistent on letting Taylor in on the situation that took place with Katie earlier. He is stationing her far from any area I will be working tonight. I have decided that I will be in charge of the bar this evening and therefore Taylor put Katie as a table busser; they never have any reason to come near the bar. I want to keep her far away from me as I can.

The night goes well, and I am able to keep away from Katie. I catch her looking at me now and again, but she keeps her thoughts and hands to herself. All of the tips I receive when I work a shift goes into a big jar that I split among the staff each Sunday. The wait staff has to give twenty-five percent of their tips to the kitchen staff. There is never any arguments about the tips. I decided that since it's all of us working as a team that everyone should be treated fairly. This makes the employees happy and it seems to work well. All of my staff is paid extremely well. In restaurants, most wait staff earn just a few measly dollars each hour. My wait staff make between eight and fifteen dollars an hour, plus tips. The three people who do not receive any form of tips are Taylor, Eric, and myself. I give Taylor and Eric a large monthly bonus from the profits; it is their form of tips.

It's late when I finally get to bed; I am not looking forward to tomorrow. I hate the first Sunday of the month, that's when I make myself go to family dinner at the Cullen's. My father passed away when I was eight. My parents had no other family, so it was just me and mom after that. When I was ten, my mom started working for Esme Cullen at her interior design company.

_Fuck my chest hurts, I miss her so much!_ I knew growing up she was not like other Moms. She had good days where she was really happy; she'd be bouncing, her excitement and joy obvious to anyone who saw her. Then there were days that were bad. When she had bad days, they were just that, bad. She wouldn't get out of bed, and would shut me out. Sometimes she would eat, but always forgot about me, as if I didn't exist. Most days she was kind of in-between neither happy nor sad.

Just a few months before my sixteenth birthday, she got really bad. Her bad day turned into more of a bad month, and before I knew it she had to be hospitalized. Since I had no family, the state put me into a temporary foster care home. I was there for about two months before I was told I was being moved to a permanent home with a real family. I was surprised to find that was Esme's home. A few days after the move, Esme and Carlisle told me that my mom gave them guardianship of me. I was heartbroken, and ran away to try and find my mom. When I found her, I begged her to let me come back home. I told her that I would look after her. She called Esme to come and get me, as I cried for her to let me stay. I will never forget the parting words she said to me that day. "I am leaving, Edward. I need a fresh start; I need to get away from this place and its memories." Before I could tell her I would go with her, and that I loved her, she carried on. "I am leaving you with Esme and Carlisle. They will be good for you, where I am not. I will only bring you pain and hardship, I'm no good for you. I promised to always do what was best for you, and it is best that I leave. Please promise me to always think of Esme and Carlisle as your family, they are all you have now. I will promise you something as well; I promise you will never see me again. Goodbye Edward." With that, she turned and walked away. I haven't seen her since.

Esme and Carlisle were very welcoming, but they already had a family and it was difficult for me to feel like I was a part of it. Esme couldn't have children, but they had adopted Esme's niece and nephew after the death of their parents. Jasper was nice to me and we got along well, but Rose did not like me at all. I never felt welcomed by Rose; as a matter of fact, she went out of her way to treat me like an outsider.

I started going to their school, where I met and befriended Alice and Emmett. Alice started dating Jasper the following spring and they have now been married for seven years. Alice owns her own dress shop, and Jasper is a Psychologist. Emmett started dating Rose when we all went to the same college, and they have been married for five years now. Surprisingly enough, Emmett became a lawyer. It's definitely not what you would think of when you see him or listen to his childish behavior. Rose became a mechanic and owns her own auto repair shop.

I have been a part of the Cullen Family for almost twelve years now. I am more comfortable with the guys than I am the women. Each year I seem to pull away more and more from them all. I really just wish they would let me go, and leave me alone. I know they won't, so I try and keep the peace by coming to dinner once a month.

It's the only time I am in the girl's company, most of the time I can avoid them. I only answer phone calls from them once a week, and even then I grit my teeth. Esme always tells me how tired I sound, and how worried she is about me working so much. Esme is a loving and kind soul and I know she only wants what she thinks is best for me, but I want to be left alone. Yet I can't break her heart, and she is always telling me it makes her sad to only see me occasionally. When Alice calls, it is usually to critique me on what I wear, and to try to hook me up with one of her friends. She gets very angry when I refuse to date anyone she attempts to set me up with. She reminds me that I should be a better friend to her, and remove the stick from my ass. It really pisses me off! I have told her several times over the last five years that I am happy with my life, and I don't want her setting me up. She went as far as assuming that I was gay, and actually tried to set me up with some male friend of hers from the design world who was clearly out of the closet. Now she invites one of her single friends to dinner each time and tries to play match maker. It is all very stupid and childish, and if it doesn't stop, I will stop showing up. Today, of course, will be the same thing.

I see the guys once a week at the restaurant; they come in and eat dinner with me. I take their calls all the time and speak to them about three times a week on average. Like I said, I'm much closer to them. I just don't trust girls, not even the ones in my family, aside from Esme. Rose and Alice both used me to get closer to the men they wanted, and as a result, I don't trust them at all. The guys give me the space I need, and they all know not to bring up the same load of shit that the girls bring up. I know they are worried about me too, I can see it in their eyes, but they don't hound me like the girls do.

I arrived at the door precisely at six with three bouquets of flowers, one each for the three witches, a bottle of wine, and bottle of whiskey. I say a prayer that nine will come fast, so I can leave, and then I knock on the door.

"Edward dear, how are you?" Esme asks, pulling me into her arms and hugging me. I hand her bouquet of Red Amaryllis, and the bottle of wine, but say nothing. "Edward you look so tired you really need to take better care of yourself. Do you need me to come and clean your apartment. . ."

"Esme dear, let the boy come in and have a seat." Thank God Carlisle cut her off, the nagging was about to start already. I smile handing him the bottle of whiskey, and head to the family room to find the other two witches.

There sits Rose and Alice talking, or gossiping is more accurate, I am sure. I hand Alice the Kiwi flowers.

"Oh Edward, these are so beautiful! Thank you."

I cut her off by turning my back to her and looking at Rose. I hand Rose the white roses. "Yeah, thanks Edward," Rose says in a bored tone.

I stand up and take a step back. "If you ladies will excuse me, I am going to join the guys."

"Edward, I want to talk to you about something before you leave tonight."

I rub my hands over my face, and take a deep breath. "Sure Alice, as long as it does not include the words, 'I have this friend, or I want you to meet a friend of mine'."

I arch my brow at her. "But come on Edward, you'll really like her, she's just right. . ." I walk away before she can finish what she is saying.

"Alice, I don't understand why you even try with that asshole, he is so not worth it. Why would you want to hook anyone you consider a friend up with him anyway? He is a jerk and I'm sure a lousy fuck to boot. Who would really want him?" Rose barks out, making sure she is loud enough to be heard. Fuck, it's going to be a long night.

We set down at the table for dinner, the conversion flows as we talk about different things. Conversation flows well until Alice brings up the Autumn Dance. "So Edward, are you coming to the dance this year? Do you already have a date in mind?"

I groan looking at her like she is clearly out of her mind. "For fu. . ." I quickly put my fist in my mouth to stop the swear word from coming out. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ I clear my throat, take a drink and set my glass back down. "Alice, it has only just turned July. That dance is not until the end of October. I don't even know if I am going at this point."

"Oh, Edward, you have to go! You've been working far too much these last few years. You're going to burn yourself out. I am so worried about your health. Have you even been looking after yourself? I think I should come by your place and give it a cleaning, and make you some dinner."

I turn to face Esme as she is talking. "Esme, I really don't want you to do that. My place is clean, and I eat at the restaurant." She gives me a despairing look.

"You and that stupid restaurant, I swear. Edward, you really don't need to work there, you own it. The place is not even in a good part of town, you should just sell it and be done with it," Rose says in a bored tone.

I place the fork down on the table; clearly I am done eating now. "Because it is important to me, and you know damn well exactly why it is!" Rose glares at me.

"Wait 'till I tell you what happened at work yesterday, you're never going to believe it," Emmett quickly says, trying to change the topic.

"Anyway, as I was saying. I have this friend, Siobhan," Alice says not even to stopping to let Emmett talk.

"Oh, Siobhan, yes she is such a lovely woman. She is so sweet and nice, how is she doing?" Oh great, Esme is helping Alice out, yay me!

"She is doing really well. She mentioned to me that she really wants to attend the Autumn Dance, but doesn't have a date. I thought Edward could take her, they have so much in common. Siobhan thinks it a great idea, she remembers him form the Spring Dance." Alice has a shit-eating grin on her face as Esme claps her hands.

"She's too good for the likes of that asshole. Let her find someone else; she can do so much better," Rose says while she continues to eat.

"ROSE," Esme says curtly. "I think this is great. She's really nice and just right for Edward. I love it; they'll have a great time."

I try not to start banging my head on the table; I am so frustrated. "I just don't think this a good idea. . ." Jasper can't even finish what he is saying before Alice cuts him off.

"Of course it's a great idea. I will call her in the morning and let her know that you want her to accompany you to the dance. I will also set up a time for you to take her to dinner tomorrow night. You can ask her properly then to be your date for the dance. It will be so romantic and wonderful. . ."

I have to put a stop to this, so raise my voice. "Alice! Firstly as I said, I do not know if I am going. Secondly, if, and I mean if, I go, I will be going alone like I do every year. Thirdly, ... I have told you this time and time again, back the hell off!"

She rolls her eyes at me. "Edward we're best friends." _Like hell you are, if you're my best friend then thank fuck I don't have any enemies!_ "I know what kind of girl you would like. Goodness, I just want to see you happy."

I slam my hand down hard on the table, and everything shakes. I can see she is angry and I hear her huff as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"JUST FUCKING STOP ALICE! Just stop, I don't want your help, and we are not best friends. Alice, shit! All of you need to hear this and know that it's true. I will not be coming here again for dinner if you can't stop this. I have not accepted or asked for your help in finding a date or a significant other. In five years of Alice trying, when have I said yes? I don't want your help, and I am telling you to stop, or you will lose me completely. I don't want your help!" I look around the table at each of them.

"Yeah Edward, it's been five years, isn't it about time you got over it and moved on?" Rose asks, looking right at me. I know what she is about to bring up, and I don't want to go through this again.

"Fuck this, I'm going. I really do not need this," I say jumping up, and heading out. As I open the door, Carlisle grabs my arm. "I am sorry about that. Please forgive my language, I never speak like that. I am very sorry. . ." he holds up his hand cutting me off.

"I am sorry son, really I am. I don't know why they keep at this, but you've been more than patient with them. I'll have a word with them, yet again, about this. I will talk to you on Wednesday." I nod my head a walk out. I really wish I could get over what happened five years ago, but I can't, it's there in the back of my mind all the time.

It's almost nine by the time I get to the restaurant. I have bad heartburn. I head to the kitchen to grab some Prilosec. I've been getting a lot of heartburn these last few weeks, so keep Prilosec everywhere I can. I head out to the main area and start waiting tables. I hope that the medicine will kick in soon.

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><p><strong>AN: We want to say thank you for joining us on this journey into the troubled mind of a man with a dark view on women, and life in general. We fully intend to update every other week, however you may get the chapters faster than that. There is a very wonderful banner made for this story, by the talented SoapyMayhem on our profile. **

**What do you think of Edwards's tainted view on women? There is much more to learn about how jaded his view is. Can anyone guess what character Bella is? We would love to hear your thoughts. All Reviews will be emailed a teaser for the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2 Warning Signs

**Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is co-written by TeamAllTwilight and WeeKitty. Thank you to Jess2002 and MustangMel1968 our wonderful Beta's. Thanks to Sarah, Amanda, and Jessica J. for pre-reading for us.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Warning signs<strong>

It's Monday morning again, so I'm back at school. Monday's are almost always crappy days. I have to deal with kids who drink their body weight in booze all weekend and come to class still hung over. I know they don't want to be here, but it wouldn't hurt to put forth _some_ effort, especially when the alternative is failure, again!

I head to my office so I can get the supplies for today's classes and set up my room. I look over to see my board. It's still the way I left it, thank God. I requested a classroom that still had the old, trusted blackboards, but all that was available was whiteboards. I like the chalk, but now it is all about the dry erase markers.

As the bell rings announcing the arrival of my apathetic students, I sit and wait. They have five minutes after the warning bell sounds before they will be counted tardy. Just in time, the last desk is filled with a body. The bell rings, and I allow everyone to get settled before I stand.

"Good morning class, welcome back. I am glad to see that most of you had a nice time this past weekend, but it's time for us to get back to work. Today, we are going to begin one of my favorite books, _A Tale of Two Cities_. This book was written by the great author Charles Dickens. This is one of my all-time favorite books and before we are done, I hope it will be one of yours as well." I sit on the front of my desk and open my book. I look up to make sure that everyone is on-task before speaking again. "I will read first, to start you off. Everyone will be reading a part of the book at some point during the lesson. We will each read a few pages out loud. If you have any questions, raise your hand." Seeing no hands in the air, I clear my thoughts and begin to read.

Together we read through the first two chapters. I stop a few times to make sure that the main ideas of the story are understood. I give the assignment for Wednesday, reminding them to check the syllabus for upcoming assignments and deadlines.

"Well done class, remember your homework for Wednesday; I will see you then. Mr. Biers, can you stay behind please? I would like a word with you." Just like magic, the class decides that _now_ is a good time to go wild. "Oh…no, Riley's in trouble." One kid yells out, "Riley have you been bad?" I roll my eyes at them all, and slap my hand down on the desk in annoyance. "Clearly you all have too much time on your hands; so I'm thinking that I can solve that problem with another assignment." The silence is deafening. I see everyone has decided to be quiet, and are all shaking their heads to the negative. "Okay then, no additional homework this time, but I will not be so lenient next time. You all should keep that in mind," I say as the bell rings. "You are dismissed, have a nice day." I watch as they all get up and quickly make their exit. Riley is still sitting at his desk, so I motion him to come up to mine.

"Professor, have I done something wrong?" Riley asks, looking at the floor.

"No of course not Mr. Biers, your work has been showing vast improvement. It is sometimes hard to understand, but I manage to figure it out. You are doing much better than you think and are almost completely up to grade level. You are meeting all expectations, and are on track to pass this course. I asked you to stay behind because we need to talk about something, actually two things. First, have you applied for the educational grants and support money that is available to you?" Riley shakes his head, and I sigh. It is no wonder kids like him fall through the cracks, no one tells them that help is available to them. "There are places that you can apply to, that will help you with your education. These places have special benefits, that will assist you in learning to the best of your abilities. Riley you're an extremely smart young man and with help, I am certain that you can overcome your obstacles. ADHD and dyslexia may be problems for you now, but there _are_ solutions available to you. There are programs that will help with books, learning equipment, and transportation needs. You have a strong potential to attend a decent college, and there are places that will help you with applying to them as well. I will happily write you a letter of reference, and help you with the application forms." Riley nods his head at me and gives me a half smile, but says nothing. "The second thing I wanted to discuss with you is, reading out loud in class. I know that you have a problem with this, and I didn't want to make this choice for you, so I'm going to let you decide how you want us to handle this. I can skip over you when we read, but the result of that is there are some students that will realize that I haven't called on you. I will not tolerate any teasing or tormenting in my class, but I can't stop what happens outside this classroom. Instead of skipping you, I am willing to mark a few pages for you to read through before next class. You can practice, and get comfortable with the text. I will even willingly work with you outside of class. Another option is recording the passage for you to help with your practice. The choice is yours. Why don't you go home and think about how you want me to handle it, and let me know on Wednesday?"

"Thank you Professor." Riley waves as he leaves my classroom, I get ready to start the next class that starts in seventeen minutes.

I am in the middle of my fourth class of the day.

"A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by using the words _like_ or _as_," I stop and look around to see if they are following me. The class looks at me, "Okay, we're looking for a simile." My hand goes up to my head, and I pull on my hair. This is my comfort; I seem to do this a lot. I look around the room.

"Okay, Mary, you're at the park and a guy starts walking over to you, you look at him and see him walking like_. Now fill in the blank."

Mary sits there, scratching her head, "like a rooster with an itch?" She says questioningly.

I smile. "Yes that is fine; he walks like a rooster with an itch. That is a simile," I smile as I fill in the simile on the board. Next I write out the definition of a metaphor, saying it out loud as I do. "Can anyone give me an example of a metaphor? All men are _." I turn waiting to see a raised hand to call on. Mike shouts out from the back of the room, "gods."

I laugh as all the girls roll their eyes at him. "Yes, gods, I like it. Simile, all men are _like_ gods, and metaphor, all men _are_ gods. Okay now, oxymoron," again I write the definition on the board.

I turn around and Laurent is staring at me in shock. "Hold up, now just hold up. You can't say that. You can't just be dissin' us like that now. I ain't no ox-moron."

I shake my head, doing my best to not burst out laughing in his face. "No Laurent, not ox-moron. I said oxymoron. An oxymoron is where you place words that are the opposite of each other together; like _bitter sweet_, or _a fine mess_. Okay, someone give me another example of an oxymoron." I look around the class and hear someone whisper an answer. I look around to see where it came from. It was from the hoodie girl, "Yes, you with the hood up. Can you please repeat out loud what you just said?"

She looks around and I feel bad for not knowing her name, but I give her an encouraging look hoping she will repeat it. "_Bad luck_," she says again very lowly.

"Yes, _bad luck_, that is an excellent example of an oxymoron." I move over to the board write it down. "Homework for tomorrow: five sentences with each term discussed today; simile, metaphor, and oxymoron, fifteen sentences total. Okay that is all for today, I will see you tomorrow."

The class starts to leave and I stand near the door. "I would like you to stay behind please," I say speaking to the hooded girl. She looks at me, I can't see her fully, but I see enough to know that she is scared.

"You're not in any trouble; I just want a quick word with you. I'll be right with you after I see what these students need." She nods her head, but still looks scared. I speak to the people that wanted to ask questions on their homework. It takes ten minutes before I can speak with her. I move over, sitting on the edge of my desk.

"First off I would like to say I am sorry, because I have forgotten your name." I look at her, hoping she will say it.

"I am Bree, Bree Tanner," she whispers out.

"Well hello Miss Tanner, can you remove your hood please?" She takes a shaking hand and removes her hood. "Thank you, I would like to say sorry about how long you were kept waiting, I didn't expect so many students to ask questions today. The reason I asked you to stay behind, is to ask how you are doing with your school work?" I ask maintaining eye contact with the young girl.

"Yeah, I like your class it's nice, I find the work okay, too." she shrugs at the end. She still whispers, and I am finding it hard to hear what she is saying.

"Do I look like a vampire to you?" I ask, raising one eyebrow at her and smirking. She looks at me as if I have gone nuts. I chuckle, and shrug. "Well I'm not a vampire, and I only have human-strength hearing. Can you speak up a little, please?" She nods, and I share a smile to let her know I was only joking. "Bree, I want you to know I am here. If there are any problems in my class or any of the classes that you are taking over the summer, come and talk with me. You're a very bright young lady. The work you are handing in is some of the best out of all my classes. I am not sure why you had to attend summer school, but if there is a problem, please feel free to come to me, okay?" I ask her. I notice she nods her head while glancing at the door every few seconds. It's almost like she is making sure she has a clear escape. I know she wants to leave, but I want her to trust me. I just have the feeling there is something serious going on here, and if I can get her to trust me, she may let me in. I hope I haven't scared her away. I'd really rather her not start skipping my class.

"You are free to leave, but please remember what I have said, Miss Tanner." I smile at her, and she gives me a half-guarded one back before leaving quickly.

I have a quick bite to eat before my last two classes. I called Aro earlier and gave him my wants for tonight. I quickly read the email on my blackberry telling me that tonight I will see Irina. I smile; she is exactly what I need today. I hate Monday's as it is, and more often than not I have Irina on those days. She is from Alaska, six feet tall, thin, with silver-blond hair that is very short and straight. Irina enjoys rough, hardcore sex. No foreplay needed. She likes it hard and fast and has clearly told me that the harder I fuck her, the better. Irina also enjoys anal sex, and according to her file, is openly bi-sexual. She has offered many times for me to have a three-way with her and another female, but I don't play games with her. For me, Irina is not about role-play and games; with her it is about hardcore, fast and rough sex.

The last two classes fly by, and before I know it, I am at the club. Moving down to room number two, I see Garrett outside the room and give him a nod. I slip into the changing room outside room two and leave my things in the locker. I slip on my thick, black cotton robe that I leave at the club. I have a closet full of clothes and sex toys stored here. They are washed and cleaned after each use and properly cared for. Making my way out of the dressing room area, I hand Garrett his tip and he knocks on the door alerting Irina that I am ready for her.

Entering the room, I see Irina in the sex swing that hangs from the ceiling. The swing allows for extremely hard thrusting. I really enjoy it, because I not only can thrust, but also use the long leather straps to pull her to me at the same time. I see the bottle of KY jelly and Irina's favorite toy. It is a rather large dildo that is nine inches long and is well over two inches in diameter. The entire shaft has stacks of three-quarter inch metal balls that rotate in circles with each layer spinning in opposition of the other. It also has such a hard vibration that if you lay it on the counter and turn on just the vibrating tip, it will hop across the counter.

The thought of her screaming the last time I sunk that big dildo inside her is making me hard. I smile and grab the lube after disrobing. In no time I am deep inside of her as she screams out in pleasure. After finding my first orgasm, I lower her shoulders more. After getting her in position, I tap her chin to tell her to open her mouth and I stick my cock in. Once she has efficiently used her mouth to make me hard again, I pull away. Using my cock, I smack her in the face and breasts a few times. She enjoys being degraded and moans out wildly, begging for more. I grab the dildo off the table and generously apply lube to the shaft. Using my right hand, I thrust it deep into her pussy. Pushing it in, until it is flush against her spread-open labia, I turn on the powerful vibrations and the spinning balls. I wrap the long leather straps in a crisscross pattern over the base of the dildo and around her legs so I can hold them tight to thrust into her with power. As she starts to mewl with the pleasure of having her vagina filled with the large toy, I lube up my cock. With her ass at the right position I thrust deeply into it and stop. I may enter in one fast stroke, but I always allow her a small window of time for her to adjust to my size. With the dildo strapped deeply inside of her, I start to pound in and out of her ass, feeling the vibrations down into my balls. After sending her over the edge more than a few times, I relent and allow myself my own orgasm. Leaving the vibrating dildo to continue to pulsate inside of her, I clean all the lube off my cock and use the wet cloths available to also clean her. Once I am clean, I remove the dildo and watch as her juices spray out of her. Watching any woman projectile squirt makes me instantly hard and I look at the clock and see I have just less than seventeen minutes of time remaining. I grab her legs and thrust into her again. With each pump, I can feel her wetness drip down my legs. I pull her into my cock as hard as I can and the only sound in the room is her screams of pleasure and the slapping of her skin against me. As she screams out in orgasm again, I pull out and pump my cock with my hand. I send ribbons of my seed across her chest, as I pinch her clit hard and watch her shake through another climax. Without another word, I put on my robe and walk out the door.

After a quick shower to wash away the sex, I leave the club. I head for home to unwind and relax. Entering the large townhouse I own, I am met with the silence of living alone. I head to my piano; it's the only thing that I have left that belonged to my parents. Well, it really belonged to my dad, who was a composer. He was a wonderful pianist, having learned to play from a very early age. I was barely three when he first started working on my piano-playing skills. I'm good, but I'll never be as great as he was.

I stopped playing regularly when I was a teenager. I realized that even though my mom would listen to me play, it hurt her and brought back too many memories of my father. I still only play on occasion, but this is the first time I have played this year. I think I sit here now because I have been thinking of my parents more in the last few weeks.

I feel the tightness in my chest again, and head to the kitchen. I fucking hate this heartburn.

**The next day**

My classes went well today; I was pleased with the students and their work. I am back in my restaurant and serving tonight, this is a busy time of year for us. Approaching a table full of women that were seated in my section, I plaster on a fake smile.

"Good evening, welcome to Midnight Sun. I am Edward and I will be your server tonight, what would you like to drink?" I look at the group of women.

"I know what you can get me, handsome," the girl on my right says, as she pinches my ass. I roll my eyes and move away from her.

"Can you bring us a bottle of your house white wine and four glasses, please?" the woman across the table says with a wink. I smile and nod my head. As I am turning to leave, I hear them commenting about how good-looking I am. I know they want me to hear, because they get louder as I walk away. One of them even comments on how I made her wet just by smiling at them.

As I collect the wine and glasses, Taylor smirks at me. I shake my head and smile, standing next to him at the bar.

"Yeah, and women say men's minds are in the gutter all the time. Shit, I think women are far worse than men, and clearly a lot more open about it," Taylor says. He pats me on the back as he looks over to the group of women who are all trying to get another look at me.

I walk back over to them with the glasses and the wine, once they have confirmed that they like it, I pour it for them. "Are you ready to place your orders now?" I ask, taking out my note pad.

"What do you recommend cutie pie?" The same lady that pinched my ass asks.

"Several of our meals are lovely accompaniments to the house white wine you ordered. The chef's recommendation tonight is the lemon chicken salad. It is a seasoned chicken breast served with fresh-torn romaine, spinach, green and red peppers, celery, red onion, and cherry tomatoes; all tossed in our delicious lemon and basil oil with half a char-grilled lemon on the side. It is a quite popular choice, and our house white does compliment the dish very well." I offer up that particular dish, because it seems that most women like this choice. They all agree to the salad I suggested and they all pre-ordered their desserts as well. One of our specialties is called _The Godfather_. It is a large warm chocolate brownie, with crunchy, chopped-up chocolate malt balls, sliced red berries and cream, topped with ice cream, drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce and dusted with sprinkles of toffee crunch.

Once the meal is ready I take it over to them. "Ladies, I hope you all enjoy your meal."

I turn to leave, but hear them call for me. "Edward those are really nice shoes you have on," I start to thank them, but before I can say anything she continues on. "You want go to the bathroom and fuck?" She asks, raising her eyebrows at me, in an attempt to look sexy. She is missing sexy by a mile because I think she's a slut. I mean who in their right mind would want to fuck a guy they just met in a bathroom, apart from this girl?

"No thank you, I'm good," I say smiling and leave.

Taylor is hiding in the kitchen laughing. "You would think that you'd be used to it by now Edward; you get offers like that at least three times a week. Each time you manage to look stunned and shocked that they say things like that to you. You always look like the scared, virgin boy, with the seductress-demon coming to take your virtue." He goes into a full-blown belly laugh now.

"Yes, it really is funny," I say rolling my eyes, as I clean up the bar area while waiting for the people at my tables to indicate that they need something.

After about an hour, the women have called me over for the bill. "Thank you so much for joining us, I hope you enjoyed your meal tonight."

They all smile at me, and nod. "We have had an amazing time. The meal was fantastic. I have to say the best part was getting to ogle that nice ass of yours though, sweet cheeks. I know I will enjoy my night more if you'll come home with me," the ass-pinching lady says. "I offer myself as a tip for you, and believe me you would enjoy me. I'll be gentle, I promise, well at first anyway," she laughs at her own words.

_She thinks she would go gently with me?_ I have to bite my lip to avoid laughter at that thought! Shit, I would scare the _crap_ out of her if she knew of my sexual proclivities. "Well if that is the tip that you're leaving I am going to have to refuse it, for the first time in three years." I walk away from her, as the other girls laugh.

"Shit, he really must be gay. I wonder if he has ever had pussy before. If I could just get him once, I am sure he would like pussy." This makes her friends laugh even more.

"Thank you, and here is your change." I start to leave after placing the change on the table, but at the last minute I decide to put an end to this group of ladies' crap. "Pardon me, for the record ladies; I am neither gay, nor a piece of meat for you to drool over. I would never lower my standards to bed any one of you. I would rather pay for sex from a street-walker than to get within two feet of you, because at least once we were done _she_ would be gone." Turning to the mouth of the group, I look right in her eyes and smirk. "As for you, I wouldn't ever worry about taking it easy on me, not that you would get that far. Just so you know, the things I do with the women I see are never slow or soft." With that, I walk away from the table.

The rest of the night goes better. I had my accountant in earlier going over the books looking at profit margins for the past quarter. The restaurant is doing better than it ever has before.

I am so tired when I get home; it takes me few minutes to realize that Esme has been here again and cleaned. I hate the fact that she just comes in and does stuff like this. Shit, maybe I need to hire a maid, but it might be hard to find a male housekeeper. The thought of having another woman working so closely to me makes me feel uncomfortable. At least with Esme I know she is not going to hit on me. Well, at least I hope she wouldn't ever do that!

I get ready for bed knowing that Wednesday is an early day for me. I go to the gym with the guys; we meet at a quarter to six. I shower and head to my bed to find clean, new pajamas on my bed. I sigh and I move them off to the bench along the bottom of my bed. I don't wear pajamas. I crawl into bed naked.

***HCV***

"Come on man, push it just another five," Emmett shouts beside me. "Four more reps to go, come on you can do it. It's only one hundred and seventy pounds. Come on Edward, I know girls who can lift this." I move my line of vision and glare at him. I hardly think that any girl can lift 170 this easily unless you're talking dollars from a bank account. "Three more." I push the bar back up. Fuck this fucking torture! "Two more to go, there you go, come on last one" Fuck! I would say that Emmett is in the wrong job and should be a drill sergeant, but fuck, he is an excellent lawyer as well.

After I have done my reps with Emmett, I spot Jasper. Once we have all lifted, we head over to the treadmill for our five mile runs.

"I was thinking that we should have a boy's night out this weekend. It's been months, and I really need a night out without Alice," Jasper says, as I start to do my cool down walk. Emmett and Carlisle both nod their heads at this.

"So are you in, Edward?" Jasper asks with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah come on Edward, it's been a few months since the last time the four of us hit the bars," Emmett says, as he slaps my back.

"Sure, I am in as long as it's just us guys, no other halves allowed." I give them a knowing look. Almost every time we go out the girls always show up wherever we are. They all nod their head in agreement.

After taking a shower and having some breakfast with the guys, I head off to the campus. I arrive around nine just before my first class begins. I get in, set up, and as the bell rings, I start my class. After class ends, Riley stays behind to let me know he has decided to read in class. I figure that he can read the next whole page, from where we left off. I give him the page to practice with, and read through it once with him. He records it to listen to at home, so he can practice reading it.

I am in my office grading papers when the cleaning girl comes, she doesn't notice me as she continues to clean. She comes near me, still not noticing me, and as she goes to move my chair she yelps and realizes that I am sitting in it. She stares at me in surprise.

"Professor Masen, I am. . ." she stops placing her hand on her head. I watch as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Professor, I am sorry. I did not know that you were here. I can just go, I am sorry," she says picking up her things and leaving quickly. I shake my head and continue to mark my last page.

I leave my office, noticing that the cleaning girl is now doing the classroom; she looks up at me and turns red. She mouths the word '_sorry'_ again before going back to her work. As I put on my jacket, I hear a bang and the cleaning girl yelps again, but this time in pain. I look over to her to see that she has tried to use the socket that has been broken and needs to be fixed.

I shake my head, is this girl really that unobservant? "Did you not read the warning sign? Right here," I say pointing to the sign. "It says, 'CAUTION, DO NOT USE THIS SOCKET'. Please be more observant, before you really get hurt," I say in frustration. She looks at me, and shakes her head telling me she didn't see the sign. "Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the campus infirmary?" She bit her bottom lip, before shaking her head as she looks up at me. She blushes before looking down; I roll my eyes and leave.

***HCV***

Dressed in jeans and a shirt, I am at the bar getting four shots and four beers for Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and myself. I head back over to the pool table where I am playing Emmett, and Jasper is playing Carlisle. The winner from each game will then play each other, while the other two play.

"Here we go, watch this people. Three ball, bottom left corner," Jasper says as he takes his shot. Jasper is the worst pool player around, so of course he misses the shot, but manages to send the cue ball into the corner pocket on the other side of the table.

"Jasper, how many times do we have to tell you, you are not supposed to pocket the cue ball," Emmett says shaking his head.

"You're just jealous that you couldn't make that shot," Jasper says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah you're right, I want to only pocket the cue ball in a game of pool," Emmett rolls his eyes and takes another turn, having pocketed the two ball.

It only takes a few minutes for Emmett and Carlisle to win the games; they are both really good. Jasper and I fool around for six games as the other two competitive bastards try to win.

"Yes, yes, yes, people! Now that is how it is done. I win and am still undefeated," Emmett shouts as he moonwalks around the pool table. We all roll our eyes at him, before sitting down at a table.

"So I am making my rounds with the floor nurse the other day and we come to the first bed where this forty-six year old patient is laying half dead. 'Did you give this man two of his pills, every eight hours?' I ask her. 'Oh, no,' replies the nurse," Carlisle says in a female voice. "Then she tells me, 'I gave him eight tablets every two hours!'. Well then we walk to the next bed the next patient also appears half dead. 'Nurse, did you give this man one pill every twelve hours?' I ask her. 'Oops, I gave him twelve tablets every hour,' she replies to me looking sheepish. At the next bed, the patient has his feet and hands strapped to the bed. He's biting hard on a wooden spoon and his eyes are bulging out of his head. 'Nurse,' I screamed a little louder at her," Carlisle put a little excitement into his voice. "Then I ask her, 'did you prick his boil?' 'OH SHIT!' she replies before running out of the room."

All of us are laughing, but have our hands protecting our crotches. The jokes continue and we are all laughing and having a good time. Emmett's phone goes off he looks at the text he just received and groans.

"Okay people, I have been summoned home by the Mrs.," Emmett says.

Carlisle makes a whipping sound, while moving his hand in a whip-slashing motion.

"She wants you all over tomorrow night, she has got an announcement to make," Emmett continues to say as he struggles stand up.

"It would mean so much to me if you could come, Ed, my man. Really you're my best friend; I like you way better than Jazzy boy. Shh…don't tell him though," Emmett says putting his finger to his mouth and looks at Jasper who is standing between us, chuckling at him. "Please come even if it's just for dinner. I promise I will gag her, if need be," Emmett says almost pleading, as he does the drunk man walk.

Jasper rolls his eyes as he whistles for cabs for us all. "Alice and I will be there, even if I am not your best friend," Jasper says.

"What, who said you weren't my best friend? Whoever it was, they lied," Emmett says, as he tries to walk over to Jasper, but fails as he walks the opposite way.

Carlisle tells him that he and Esme will be there, and they all look at me. Shit, I don't really want to go, but I know from the way he's talking and acting that this means something to him.

"Yeah sure Emmett, I'll be there, but I can only stay a little while. I got off early tonight, so I have to work some tomorrow." I pat his back and try helping him into the cab. The three of them share a cab, because they all live within a few minutes of each other. I live in the opposite direction, clear across town near the college. I get in my own cab, and head home to go straight to bed.

The next day, I am back at the restaurant behind the bar, getting it all set up and prepped for the night. I look at the clock, knowing that I only have a few minutes before I need to get changed and leave to go to Emmett's house.

"Wow, what a sad sight you are my friend! Is having dinner with your family really that bad?" Taylor asks, as he walks around the bar to take over from me.

"You haven't seen a sad sight yet, just wait until I return," I say. I head to my office, change into a fresh suit before heading off to Emmett's house. I walk out, go to my car and see that there are a few guys around my car. As I get closer, I see that they are jumping around the cars that are parked, throwing beer bottles at each other.

"Hey, what are you three up to? Move away from my car, and get out of my parking lot. This is private property and it is clearly marked 'Parking for Midnight Sun customers only'," I say. I continue to walk over to my car as I speak.

"Look here old timer, how about you try to make us leave," the small one of the three says laughing. What? That punk has some nerve, I mean _really_ calling me 'old timer'? All three of them must be in their early twenties, I am not _that_ much older than any of them.

"Look I own this restaurant, and parking lot. You are currently trespassing, so move it, or go to jail," I say in a firm, demanding tone.

"Hey wait a minute, aren't you one of those teachers from the college?" This time the youngest looking one speaks.

I refuse to answer his question, but repeat that they have to leave.

"You are, aren't you? I saw you around; I always wanted to tell you that my middle finger gets a boner when I think of you." The three idiots laugh as the mouthpiece flips me the bird.

"Look here Mr. Old Timer; I am working to get a _4.0_ in college. This here is my summer holiday before I have to work my ass off to keep that _4.0_. I don't give two shits if you don't like it; I am going to enjoy it okay?" The one who has been silent up until this point speaks, as he throws a beer bottle that hits one of the parked cars.

Now I am pissed! Fuckers! Why can't they just move on? "The closest you'll ever get to a _4.0_ in college will your blood alcohol content. Now move on, this is private property that you are on. LEAVE!"

I don't want people coming out from a good time at my restaurant, only to see these drunken fools.

"Wow, is that best you can do with a comeback? You're a fail," the short guy yells.

"So was your dad's condom," I reply as I take out my cell phone.

"He's just mad 'cause his mom has a bigger dick than him," the bottle throwing punk says to his friends.

"If you're not going to leave, then I am calling the cops," I say, and as I press the button on my phone, they all run forward toward me. I stand my ground as they try and fail to push me down as they run past. As I turn, I see them barging into an older couple and taking her bag. I begin running after them to retrieve the bag.

I am catching up to them, because for my age I'm very fast. I manage to catch one of them and he screams for help, as I get him on the ground. The other two drop the lady's bag and come back for their fallen friend. They knock me off my feet, before dragging their friend up and running down the street. I get up to go after them. I start to run down the street, but I feel a tightening in my chest. It is much worse than it's ever been before, and I feel like I may fall. My vision seems to be going as I begin feeling light headed and nauseated. My breathing is hard and ragged as I fully drop to my knees. The pain in my chest increases as I hear the men coming back. They're talking and laughing, but I can't make it out, I feel them reaching inside my jacket and taking my wallet. Then I am alone. I feel myself going into a cold sweat. The pain keeps increasing. I can hear people coming near me. I can't make them out, and they move away. I try to yell out and beg them for help, but I am too late, they are gone. Seconds later someone else is with me, talking to me. I feel their hands on my neck. I try to push them away, but I can't. The blur of the person moves closer to me, speaking in my ear.

"Professor Masen, I am trying to help you. I have called for help, and it's on the way. I just want to make you more comfortable. Please hold still; I won't leave you alone," the blur says. She knows my name, and she has the sweetest voice I have ever heard.

She loosens the buttons on my shirt, and continues to stroke my cheek. I watch her blurriness as she turns her head like she is speaking to someone. She takes my wrist again, and she presses on it as if she's feeling for my pulse. As her hand touches me, I start to feel as if she's giving off an electric shock. She leans in close to me; I can make out more of her face now because she is closer. She seems familiar to me, and she is clearly very young, maybe she is a student of mine. She keeps speaking to me and someone is standing to the side of her. I catch her giving me a reassuring smile. It's not long before the EMT arrives. They look me over, and talk to the girl before taking me to the hospital.

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><p><strong>AN: YAY, IT'S A SURPRISE. . .We posted a full week early! Our normal posting schedule is every other Thursday, however things are flowing well right now. It must be all the great reviews and story love we are receiving, but keep them coming. . .Please. **

**On behalf of both of us, thank you for the warm response this story is getting. We both hope that you continue to enjoy it and that you continue to leave reviews. Chapter 3 teasers will be messaged to those of you who leave a review. Inspire us to write faster and these weekly updates may stick.**

**So, tell us what do you think of this Edward, who has such a dark view on so many things? How do you think Edward's dark views towards women will have him treating Bella once they 'really' meet?**


	3. Chapter 3 First Sight

**Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is co-written by TeamAllTwilight and WeeKitty. Thank you to Jess2002 and MustangMel1968 our wonderful Beta's. Thanks to Sarah, Amanda, and Jessica J. for pre-reading for us. Amanda, our thoughts and prayer are with you, for your loss.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: First Sight<strong>

Fuck my life! I have been in a hospital room on a heart monitor all night. On top of that, they made me turn off my cell phone. I should have had them call Emmett last night, but I was under so much stress. I am sure that I will be in hot water with my family for not showing up.

Waiting for the doctor to come in with my test results, I reflect on last night's events. The pain in my chest felt like I was having a heart attack or something. I really hope that was not the case. I mean, _come on_, I am only twenty-eight! I am in good overall health. I exercise and don't eat a lot of fattening foods. People my age don't have heart attacks, do they?

"Good morning Mr. Masen, I'm Dr. Hall," he says, holding out his hand for me.

"Good morning," I say, shaking his hand.

"Well I've read over your chart, how are you feeling this morning?" his face is giving nothing away.

"I feel a lot better than I did last night; everything has returned to normal, no chest pain, and no shortness of breath."

He nods his head, writing notes on my chart. "How long have you been suffering from heartburn?" He looks at me questioningly.

"On and off for the past three or four months," I say letting out a breath before talking again, cutting off Dr. Hall. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but what happened to me last night? Did I have a heart attack, because it _really_ felt like a heart attack? Please just tell me what happened, and then I promise I will answer all your questions."

He puts down my chart and stops writing as he sits back in his chair. "I am sorry Mr. Masen; I tend to get ahead of myself. Last night you suffered a rather harsh panic attack," he says.

All I am thinking is this guy must be crazy! Where did he get his medical degree, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or maybe from a Cracker Jack box? "You're trying to tell me that all the pain, the inability to breathe, and the nausea were symptoms of a panic attack? There is no way, Doctor, _no fucking way_ that what I had could have been a panic attack! I had every classic sign of a heart attack. I'm an educated man, and I just don't think that this was a simple panic attack or _any_ kind of panic attack, for that matter. I've never even had one before why would it just come on like that?"

Dr. Hall holds his hand up to stop my rant. "Mr. Masen, many people who have a panic attack for the first time think that they're having a heart attack. The symptoms are very similar. This could be a one-time thing or it could occur again. The best way to deal with this is for me to give you some advice, and a prescription for anxiety meds. And just for the record, no panic attack is ever a simple matter. I would say that most likely you've been having symptoms and minor attacks for a while now; that heartburn of yours is the tell-all of that."

"I was really having panic attacks? What could have caused them?" I ask, still unsure that he's got it right.

He nods his head as he speaks again. "Many things can bring them on; from what I have read on your chart I would say that yours was stress-related. You need to take a few days off from work and relax. I would also recommend that you speak with a therapist. I have picked up some pamphlets on panic attacks. They'll let you know how to identify the on-set of a panic attack, and how best to deal with it." He hands me the brightly colored information sheets.

"What are the chances of this happening again?" I ask, hoping beyond all measure that they are slim.

"Everyone is different, that's why I'd like you to read this information thoroughly. It's better that I send you away with too much information, and you never have an attack again than to have you leave here with no information, and just hope for the best. These pamphlets also have information on how best to help someone who is having a panic attack. You never know, I find that once you've had a panic attack, you can always tell when someone else is having one. You will most likely meet a lot more people who have suffered, or do suffer from it. It's quite an eye-opening experience, having one." I have to nod in agreement with what he just said; I will never forget what I went through. I have heard people talk about having panic attacks; I have even had some students in my class that have claimed to have had them. I have always brushed those claims off as them making up excuses to get out of handing in assignments or wanting longer to do them. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought how bad and fucking scary they really are.

Dr. Hall also advised me about what to do if it recurs, and how to prevent it from coming back as strong as it did the first time. Before he leaves, he turns off the heart monitor. I switch on my cell seeing that I have five missed calls and four texts, all from Emmett. I see there was a text first and then a voice mail and it kind of goes back and forth after that. I decide to read the text messages first.

_**Hey Ed, can you bring some whiskey with you tonight? See you when you get here, Emmett.**_

_**Hey Ed, hope you're ok, you do remember that you're coming here tonight, don't you?**_

_**Hey give us a call please, even if it's just to say that you can't come tonight.**_

_**Ed, you missed dinner. Look, this is not like you. Give me a call to let me know that you're ok, please.**_

Then I listen to the voice messages.

**First message: "Hey Ed, where are you? Everyone here is waiting for you."**

**Second message: "Ed if you're running late, call to let me know how long you're going to be."**

**Third message is blank. **

**Fourth message: "Ed, Rose is waiting to start dinner; hurry up man."**

**The fifth message is: "Hey Ed, sorry you missed it. I asked Rose to hold off, but she was tired of waiting. I wanted you to be one of the first we told, but I didn't want to tell you like this. I just wish I had told you Saturday night, but I was a bit drunk. I am now too, so if I don't make much sense, I am sorry. Anyway, Rose is pregnant. I'm really sorry to tell you like this, but since we told my parents and the others I didn't want one of them saying anything to you before I could. You know what Alice is like. Well I need to go, Rose is sick again. Bye for now."**

I can hear in his voice that he was upset. I don't know if it's because of what happened in my past, or him not wanting to tell me over voice mail, or maybe even because I wasn't there last night. More than likely, it is a combination of all of those things rolled into one. I feel bad, and wish I could have been there.

I dial his cell number hoping to get him before he goes into court. "Hello Emmett," I say quickly as the phone is answered.

"Nope, not Emmett, asshole! How the fuck could you not have come last night? Really, I don't get why Emmett gives a fuck about you, it's not like you put anyone above your own wants, or care about anyone but yourself. He was so worried about how you would take this; he can't even enjoy it because his fucked-up, piece of shit friend might be upset about it. Well fuck you! I don't give a rat's ass if you're upset. I could care one iota less, whether this hurts you or not. You know Edward, it happened five fucking years ago and it's not like you even knew him! Why can't you just be happy for your friend; happy for me, your sister? I had to put off being a mom for three years, and I will not wait any longer. You need to get ahold of yourself. Stop having Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle running after you to hold your hand. Think of them, and realize that just because you fell for a lying, vindictive bitch does not mean that they should put you and your fucked-up shit before their wives." She hangs up without even letting me speak.

I redial Emmett's number, but it goes straight to voice mail. I try once more and decide to leave a message, trying my best not to show any emotion, but fuck it hurts! "Hello Emmie, I am _so_ sorry about last night. I really wanted to be there for you; even more so today. I know what you wanted to tell me, and I want you to know that I am pleased for you, really I am. You'll make a great father, Emmett." As I struggle to find the right words, a nurse comes in the room.

"Mr. Masen you need to turn your phone off. This wing of the hospital does not allow cell phone usage." I nod my head at her, holding up a finger to indicate to her that I need another minute.

"Em, I need to go. I hope to see you soon, give me a call later today, okay? Bye," I say and then hang up and turn off my cell. I make my apologies to the nurse.

"Dr. Hall has signed your discharge paperwork; we're just waiting on the pharmacy for your medications. Breakfast will come along in ten minutes; he wants you to eat something before you leave. By the time you have eaten and cleaned up, your medicine will be here and you'll be free to leave." She doesn't wait for a reply, she just moves out of the room since she is done speaking. What the hell is wrong with these women who don't even allow a person to speak?

I head to the bathroom and take a quick shower before I have to eat the nasty stuff they call hospital food. Well, I could always stop at that nice take out café, close to the college. I could get something before heading to class. Shit! Those fuckers last night stole my wallet. I have no car, no money; I have nothing here with me. Fuck, now how in the hell am I going to get home? Emmett is most likely in court, and even if he isn't, it's clear that Rose has his cell phone, and Jasper and Carlisle are both at a medical conference today. That leaves me with one choice, walking. I know that if I call Rose, she will laugh and hang up the phone. Alice and Esme will make a big deal of it all, and I am not up to dealing with any kind of stress today. As I get dressed, I try to figure out how far I am from the restaurant. I come up with an approximate distance of seven miles; I can walk there in about an hour.

I hear a knock at the door, and it brings me out of my inner thoughts. I open the door expecting to find a nurse with a breakfast tray, but instead I find a young, familiar girl at the door. I stand back letting her in.

"Hello Professor Masen, you're looking better than you did last night. How are you feeling?" I look at the girl, and after I replay her words in my mind, I realize that this is the girl that helped me last night.

"I am feeling much better. I'd like to thank you for stopping and helping me last night." I stare at her knowing that I have seen her before last night, but I can't _quite_ place where. I take a good look at her. Normally I don't notice people, because I am much more interested in what is on the inside than the outside. If there is one thing that I have learned over the years it's that most people are not very nice on the inside.

The girl in front of me is young, but she has the eyes of an old soul. She is pale, and her long brown hair is pulled up in a messy ponytail. She is very small, a little taller than Alice, but she's a lot thinner which is easily noticeable in the chamber maid uniform she is wearing. The thing that strikes me the most is her eyes, not only do they make her seem older, but they are the strangest color brown I have ever seen, almost like a cappuccino. I can see the warmth in her eyes, along with something else I can't pinpoint. Still, none of these observations have helped me remember where I know her from.

I hear her as she clears her throat. "I was thinking that since those guys stole your wallet, and the EMT guys brought you in the ambulance, that you might need a way home. I didn't think you had any money to get home, and since the hospital was on my way to work I thought I could bring you some money to help you get back. I also brought you a muffin," she says holding it up. It seems that she has visited the same café that I was going to stop at on my way to work. She offers me the muffin and a five dollar bill.

"Thanks, I don't mean to be rude, but you know my name, you said it last night and today as you came in. Could you tell me where we've met?"

She blushes and her eyes struggle to keep contact with mine. "I clean your office and classroom at the college, Sir," she says holding up her hand and waving it a bit. I see that it is bandaged; memories of her hurting it by using the faulty outlet in the classroom come rushing back to me.

"Yes, now I remember." I look at my watch and see that it's almost half-past nine. I know that if I take public transportation, I should get to the college at half-past ten after stopping at the restaurant and picking up my car. With that in mind, I take both the muffin and the money from her. These muffins are to die for! "Are you sure about the money? I will pay you back tonight when you clean my classroom."

She nods her head at me, as she bites her bottom lip. It's almost as if she is trying to stop herself from speaking, which apparently isn't working as she starts to say what is on her mind. "Don't worry about the money, Sir, but shouldn't you take today off? I mean you were in a bad way last night, perhaps you should just go home and rest?" She asks, blushing as she moves her eyes to stare at the floor. She immediately apologizes, "Sorry Professor Masen, I don't mean to be blunt," the girl whispers.

Damn, I still don't know her name! "Don't worry about it?" I say in a way that should tell her that I am asking her name. After a few seconds I start to speak when it's clear she's not going to tell me her name yet again. "I don't like resting; I find it hard to sit around doing nothing."

She gives me a smile and a quick nod. "I am glad you are feeling better Professor Masen." She turns and walks out of the room; without thinking, I quickly grab her arm before she leaves.

The girl quickly snatches her arm back, staring at me with a look of horror on her face. I watch as her beautiful eyes go wide, and see fear reflected in them. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I feel awkward not knowing your name, would you please tell me what it is?"

She looks down. "I am Isabella," she says as she looks out of my room. I give her a smile hoping to calm this girl who I have scared, albeit unintentionally.

"Do you have a last name Isabella, or are you like Madonna?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at her as she frowns.

"My last name is Swan. Who is Madonna, a new professor?"

Now this has me surprised, I thought everyone knew Madonna. "No Isabella, she's a singer."

Isabella smiles at me, almost shyly. "I am sorry Professor Masen, but I need to go or I'll be late for work." She points out of the room as she speaks, showing me that she has to go past me.

"Well I better let you go then. Thank you again Isabella, for helping me last night, and for bringing me the muffin and money today. You even bought my favorite," I say holding up the muffin. She nods slightly, and nearly runs out of the room. I must say I am intrigued by this girl. For the first time, in a long time, a female has sparked an interest in my mind. I am sure that she will be just like all the rest in the long run: conniving, shallow, greedy, and a convincing liar.

The nurse comes in with my filled prescriptions and paperwork. I am free to go. I have already called the college to let them know that I will be late, so I head out to get my car after first asking some of the staff the location of the nearest bus stop. As I leave, I look around seeing that there no hotels around here. I wonder where Isabella works; she said that she was on her way there.

After waiting only a few minutes, I get on the bus for the first time in twelve years; damn, it's been so long. I _really_ miss my car. I sit next to an old lady who talks the whole time about her medical problems. By the time the bus gets to my stop, I know everything I _never_ wanted to know about hemorrhoids.

As I arrive at the restaurant, I look through the parking lot. Fucking son of a bitch! Those assholes smashed up my car, and the tires have been slashed, as well. I storm into the restaurant and head straight for my office. I take money from the petty cash, and call to have my car towed to Rose's shop. She is a bitch, but she's also the best mechanic I know and will take good care of my car. I quickly call a cab to take me to campus; before heading out, I take two of the pills Dr. Hall gave me to help with stress.

"Professor Masen," the secretary calls after me as I head to my classroom.

I let out a breath before turn around to face the biggest slut known to man. "Yes Gina?" I say questioningly. I keep my eyes on hers. I truly don't want to see what tiny excuse for a dress she has on today. "I am having another party this weekend, you really should come." She takes a step towards me and I take a step back.

I desperately don't want her touching me, and I am quickly losing my patience with this tramp. "Gina, I have told you before on many occasions, it is inappropriate for you to speak to me about these things at work, and furthermore, I do not want to attend any of your parties, now or ever."

I turn to walk away, and she grabs the sleeve of my jacket. "Professor Masen, I've been a very bad girl, and I need a spanking. I know for a fact that you're really good at it. I've seen you at Aro's club, we both know what goes on there," she purrs. I wonder if she really thinks that sound is sexy, because she sounds like a house cat with a stuck hairball. Then she opens her mouth and starts to say things that I knew were coming. "Maybe you should think about joining me sometime, I would really hate for the alumni of this fine institution to find out about how you spend all your free time buying hookers. You know I won't judge you Sugar, and I am sure that if you make it to one of my parties, you'll save yourself some money too. I like it rough," she whispers the last part right against the back of my neck as she brings her mouth closer to my skin.

I take a few short seconds to control my anger by counting to ten, as the brochure given to me by the good Dr. suggests, helping to prevent another panic attack. This is a prime example why I don't date or trust women. Women like Gina never seem to disappoint, always delivering exactly what I expect from them.

The blackmailing slut pats my back, and then moves in front of me. "I understand Sugar, take your time. You can think about it. I will give you a day to decide. Oh yeah, before I forget, Marcus wants to see you in his office before you go to class." With that she walks away from me, but glances back and smirks at me over her shoulder. I head for Marcus's office; I will deal with Gina later.

"Marcus, Gina said you wanted to see me," Marcus looks up at me as I come into his office.

"Edward, take a seat please." He waits for me to sit.

"Can it wait until later? I've already missed two classes, and if I go now I can make it on time to start the next one."

He shakes his head. "How are you feeling?" He asks with a clear look of concern on his face. It is the same type of look I get from Carlisle now and again.

"I am fine, why wouldn't I be?" I ask rolling my eyes at him.

"You don't remember, do you?" Marcus asks.

I raise my eyebrows and shift in my seat. "Remember what?" I ask, unsure of what he is talking about.

Marcus sets his pen down, and looks at me with more concern. "Edward, I was at the hospital last night with Didyme, her mother was brought in. We saw you when you were brought into the emergency room by ambulance."

Shit, I was hoping no one knew about it. "Listen Marcus, I am fine. It looked worse than it was. I managed to have a panic attack, but I am fine now."

He nods his head at me. "Yeah, I heard them say that to the doctor as they took you into the room. You don't remember talking with me, do you?" I shake my head no; I am shocked to learn I spoke with him last night. "I have signed you off work for the next week. Get some rest Edward. This is not a request, it is a direct order. I will be checking on you, so get home and put your feet up. I am taking over your classes, but they have been cancelled for today. Close the door behind you," I sigh; knowing that there is no way I will change his mind.

"Fine, but I want to talk to you about what I have been doing in each class."

I take him through each one of the classes on my schedule, using my outlines and lesson plans. I also ask him to not ask Riley to read out loud; unless they reach the page he is set to read from. I also tell him my suspicions of Bree Tanner possibly being abused, and ask him to keep an eye on her. It takes the best part of an hour before I am in the park across from campus. It is around noon, and I really don't know what to do with myself. I hate having time off, it's one of the reasons I teach summer school.

Suddenly I find myself smiling. I can work in my restaurant, with that thought I grab a cab and head over there. I know there will be something to do, because the lunch rush is on.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" Taylor asks me as I walk into the office, hanging up my jacket.

"I have taken a few days off from college to get some work done here."

He shakes his head at me. "Marcus called me earlier to let me know what happened. I am under strict orders to send you home. If you refuse, I'm supposed to call Esme to come and get you." The fucker is standing there telling me all of this with a big ass smirk on his face.

"Taylor, may I remind you that I am your boss, not Marcus."

He nods his head, and shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah I know boss, but he is scarier than you. So what do you want to do, take a few days off, or have Esme come haul your ass out of here?"

The fucker actually pulls out his cell phone and shows me that he has Esme's number up, ready to hit send. I know he isn't bluffing. "Can I at least have lunch first?"

He smiles knowing that has he won. "Why yes, of course you can, Sir. What would you like to eat today, or shall I just bring you the Chef's special?" I growl at him and his high-handed behavior and he laughs at me. "I'll just bring it to you," he says laughing again as he walks out of the office. These fuckers are causing me more stress, than they realize by doing this shit.

I eat the lunch Taylor brings me, and ignore the calls from Alice. I go ahead and leave, before Taylor makes the call I don't want him to make. What the fuck do I do now? I hate, absolutely hate, not working. I walk around for bit, trying to think of something to do. I buy a local paper and a cup of coffee before finding a free bench to sit on at the park. I flip through the stories, finding nothing of interest in them.

What the fuck? I turn back a page and I am stunned to find a picture of Emmett and Rose along with the announcement of their pregnancy. It turns out Rose is already into her second trimester. As I read, I start feeling the tightness in my chest again. I take out the pills the wacko doctor gave me, hoping that they will work. A full fucking day of stressful crap, if only they would just let me work, I wouldn't be sitting on a park bench fighting off a panic attack.

I close my eyes, and pinch the bridge of my nose, taking a few deep breaths. "Do you know them? They look like a nice couple, but I think she wears the pants in that family." I open my eye to see a woman sitting next to me, reading my paper. I sigh, standing up to move to another free bench.

"This one is a little bit better than that one. I know, I know, they _say_ they're all the same, but they're not. Each one has little differences, the way the sun hits it or what you can see when you sit on it," the same woman says, having followed me.

"Look, I moved over here, to get some space. If you like this bench then you can stay, and I will go back to the other one." She turns, looking me right in the eyes and pressing her lips together.

She's making me feel really uncomfortable, after losing the staring contest; I rub my hand over my face. "Look, is there something I can help you with?"

She gives me half of a smile. "No, but I can help you."

I shake my head. "What makes you think that I need help? And if I did, what in God's name makes you think I would want _your_ help?"

She gives me an even bigger smile. "It just turned three o'clock; you have a nice suit on, but you look like you're going to jump in front of a moving car. You have a cocky smile on your face, but you are not taking part in your life or enjoying it. Oh yes, by the way, I am a psychic and I can tell you what will happen to you if you don't let people in." She keeps her face straight as she speaks to me; I on the other hand let out a loud laugh.

"Really you're a psychic? How about this, Miss ESP, what am I going to say next?" I raise my eyebrows at her in a challenge.

"Well Edna, I said that I was psychic, not a mind reader. With you being an English Professor, you should know the difference."

I tilt my head at her, and blink. "Very good, but my name is not Edna, and it's easy to find out what I do for a living. Sorry lady, no sale."

I go to leave, but she caches my hand. "Your right, okay let me see. You're Edward Anthony Masen, and you just turned twenty-eight. You work at the college over there, and have for the past four years. You teach the summer school program, and are a workaholic. You own a restaurant called Midnight Sun. You have no siblings, except the ones who were adopted. You mainly only hang out with your three best friends, who just happen to all be men. Last night some assholes were messing around outside of Midnight Sun, you asked them to leave and ended up getting mugged. You suffered from a rather bad panic attack, and you were found by a young girl named Leah."

Yes, she got something wrong. "Ha, you're wrong!"

She shakes her head. "Edna it's rude to interrupt a person when they are speaking. Anyway, you were found by Leah and her brother Seth who were walking in front of their big sister, Isabella. She called for help, and gave you a five dollar bill today along with a muffin. How am I doing now, Edna?" She gives me a smile, and nods her head. "Thought so, anyway you have been forced to take the week off from teaching and the restaurant. That is why you are here now, sitting on this bench, wallowing in self-pity."

I rub my head, and pinch my nose again. "Is this were you tell me that I will be visited by three ghosts and need to change my ways?"

She lets out a laugh. "It's too early to start thinking about Christmas, plus you're alone by choice. You don't have a chance to be greedy, or outright rude to people. You don't interact with anyone; you've built a wall to keep people away, but the only person you are truly hurting is yourself. Ah, here come your rescuers now," she says turning her head and looking behind the back of the bench. I turn and look, seeing Isabella along with a boy and a girl. The children are fairly tall, almost the same size as Isabella.

I watch them laugh as they cross the park; Isabella is still in the maid uniform she was wearing this morning. "When you see them, they look so happy and carefree. You would never guess the hurt that each of them have gone through, more so for Isabella than the other two. She is very much like you, with a wall built up inside, but it's not just to protect her, it's for them too. The only difference is that you have people there for you if you just ask for help or talk with them. She however, has no one to turn to, and she's too afraid to let anyone in. I have known them, oh, must be four years now and I am still on the outside. It still surprises me that she lets me watch the two young ones when she's at work."

I look right at the woman. "Yeah, she's my neighbor and I watch Seth and Leah when she cleans at the college. I got some of my information from her; you really scared the three of them last night. I have also seen you around, but my son knows you, that's where most of my information, like your age comes from." She turns back around, once Isabella has left the park.

"Who is your son?" I ask, needing to watch who I speak with from now on.

"Aro, the little shit! Did you know he forgot Mother's Day?" She clucks, shaking her head.

"Okay, who are you? The only Aro I know is in his thirties, so you're much too young to be his mother," I let out a laugh. I mean really, the woman next to me is in her forties, at best.

"Well thank you Edna, but he is thirty-eight and his older brothers are forty-two and forty-three. Next month I will be sixty-one," she says with a wink. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I think you and Isabella could be good for each other. I have said this for about a year now, ever since the first time I noticed you. I had to wait until you had a real chance to see her. Here, take this and follow her for the next few days, I assure you that you will be surprised. Hell, it isn't like you have anything else to do. This is a copy of her weekly schedule."

"You do know stalking is illegal in every state in the US, right?"

She shakes her head at me and smiles with sympathy in her eyes. "You've got nothing to lose, but you could gain a great friend. I bet you that she will surprise you, and you can thank me later. Oh, my name is Zafrina. I'll see you around Edna." She quickly walks off, and I watch as she goes in the same direction Isabella went a few minutes earlier. I fold the paper putting it in my pocket; no wonder Aro thinks his mom is crazy. I mean fuck, if that _is_ her, then I agree whole-heartedly with him! I start to walk home, putting the crazy woman and Isabella Swan out of my mind.

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><p><strong>AN: Our normal posting schedule is every other Thursday, however things are flowing well right now. It must be all the great reviews and story love we are receiving, but keep them coming. . .Please. Don't forget teasers for those of you who review. All reviews will be answered, unless you have your personal messaging turned off. **

**So, what are your thoughts on Edward now? Does anyone think Isabella might have an ulterior motive? **


	4. Chapter 4 Stalking

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to S. Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. Huge thanks to Jess2002 and MustangMel1968 for being our BETA's. Thanks to: ****Sarah, Amanda, and Jessica J. for pre-reading for us.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Stalking<strong>

As I leave the park, I decide to see if Aro can still fit me in today. I never called him earlier, so my normal slot would not be available. After the last 24 hours, I _really_ need some stress relief; and after my surprise meeting with his mom, I need to talk to him as well. I call him on my way to his club to make my impromptu visit. Thank God he manages to work me in; I don't want to go home just yet. I am very lucky that one of my girls is available. While Aro and I speak, he has Garrett getting everything set up for my session with Maria.

Maria is the oldest of the women I see at the club. She is thirty-eight, but looks and has the body of a twenty-something. She has more curves and a softer body than my other girls. I see Maria on an average of once a month; sometimes longer between visits, sometimes not. When I see Maria, it is for the softer, more sensual side of sex. I still control her, and she obeys my every command, but it is a more erotic and sultry experience than I have with the other girls. Maria is just what I need tonight; I am all about relieving stress and relaxing as much as I can. It's just what the doctor ordered; well, in a roundabout way, that is.

I have just arrived at my home to find Emmett sitting outside; beside him is Jasper and Carlisle.

"Where in the fuck have you been? Marcus said he sent you home this morning. When we called Taylor he said that you left at two. We've been looking everywhere for you!" Emmett shouts as I get out of the cab.

"I have been walking around the park. I didn't expect to see any of you today." It's going to be a long night tonight, I sigh to myself.

"Why in the hell didn't you call and tell us what happened last night? We would have been there for you. What the fuck happened anyway? All we know is you had a severe panic attack."

I sigh, and nod my head. "Come in and I'll tell you all about it."

I take them through the whole night, and how I spent my time today, as well. I leave out a few things; no need for them to worry any more than they have already. I leave out the bits about the crazy lady from the park, and the almost three hours of having Maria massage my body and ride my cock into oblivion. I also leave out the talk with Aro about his mom, the crazy lady. I wonder about the strange look Aro gave me when I said Isabella's name. It was as if he not only recognized her name, but also knew her. He gave me a smirk, and chuckled when I told him about his mom wanting me to stalk Isabella. Shaking those thoughts, I turn my attention back to my visitors.

Carlisle checks me over and comes to the same conclusion as Dr. Hall, and Jasper says that he can take me on as a patient or pass me over to his partner, Peter. After much thought, I decide to go with Peter. I am thinking that mixing our family drama with his professional career is not such a good idea. We talk about things other than the happenings of last night. After a while, they are getting ready to leave. They have promised to not talk about what happened. The last thing I want or need is the stress of dealing with their other halves. Once they are gone, I am left alone in my townhouse to enjoy the rest of my night.

As I go to my bed, I'm finding it hard to fall asleep and only manage a few hours before I am up again. I have always been like this, not really able to sleep in; as soon as the sun is up, so am I. After putting on a pair of jeans and a shirt, I think seriously about what I want to eat. After finding nothing appealing in my house, I jump in my second car and head to the store to stock up on beer and junk food. I'll admit that I have a sweet tooth, and a habit to eat food that isn't good for me.

I grab a cart and head inside the store. Can someone tell me why I _always_ get the cart with the fucked-up wheel? I try to steer it straight and of course it veers to the side. With my luck, I will hit someone just like me. Then you'll have an angry person dealing with another angry person, and it just goes downhill from there. As I turn the corner, I find myself in the frozen food aisle looking at the many flavors of ice cream. I quickly locate some Ben & Jerry's Rocky Road, and I'm quite certain that it's the ice cream equivalent of heaven.

As I walk back to the bakery to get donuts and cookies, I hear a young boy talking. "Bella, can I get some grapes and instead of apples, can I get some pineapple?" I hear a young voice speaking and look over to see Isabella, along with the two children from yesterday. Both children are tall, maybe nine or so, but if you look closer, they look and sound younger than that. Isabella is very petite, so who knows how old the kids are. Maybe they just appear to be tall, because they are standing beside her.

"That's fine Seth, pick up a carton of pre-cut pineapple, and a bag of grapes please. Leah, do you want pineapple chunks, or an apple?" The young girl nods her head, pointing to the pineapple.

"Bella, what are we having for dinner tonight; you're going to eat with us aren't you?" Isabella places the fruit in her basket before moving on.

"Mr. Brophi doesn't need me to stay late tonight, so I'll be able to leave at my normal time. Leah, you picked dinner last night so Seth, what would you like?" Seth looks around and appears to be deep in thought.

It takes him a few minutes before he comes up with an answer. "I want pasta and meatballs."

Leah rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Like that's a surprise, I don't know why you even ask him anymore. Every Tuesday it's the same thing," Leah huffs out.

I watch them pout and pick at each other. "Alright enough, the both of you," Isabella says pulling them away from each other.

"He started it."

"She started it," they both say at the same time.

"No you did," they both say arguing again. As they push and pull at each other, I notice Bella has it under control quickly.

"Stop it right now or I won't bring you back here, and there will be no ice cream tonight." Isabella's tone changes enough that it causes them both to look sheepish.

"Sorry Bella," they both say together.

I watch as she sighs, and hugs them both. "I love you guys, you know that, right? I love you being with you and having you here shopping with me, but you can't hit each other. Now let's get the ice cream and go, before you're late for Kid's Club." She starts to turn and head my way, I quickly duck down another side-aisle before she sees me.

I continue shopping, but my mind keeps going back to Isabella. She seems to enjoy spending time with her brother and sister very much. Even with the dramatic age difference between them, they seem really close. Another thing that I notice is that they call her Bella, not Isabella. As I ponder over my observations, the thing that is bothering me the most is the lack of parents in this scenario; I mean, where in the hell are they? From what Zafrina said, Isabella is the one that takes care of them, and has the entire time she has known her.

Now that I have successfully obtained everything I came for; I head to the checkout counter. I see Isabella along with Seth and Leah, already at the register.

"I have a coupon for the ice cream," Isabella says as she extends the coupon in her hand. The cashier frowns.

"I don't take coupons at this register. This is the 'Express Lane', the sign right there says 'No Coupons'," the rude cashier says, pointing to the sign. I look around and notice that none of the other registers are even open at the moment.

"Well no one else was open, so here is the coupon. Ring it through, please." Isabella places the coupon down in front of the girl.

"Look here trailer trash, I can't take your stupid coupon, you are at the wrong checkout, plus I have passed the point where you scan the coupon in. So how about you pay for the stuff and use the coupon next time?" The bitchy cashier says while sneering at Isabella. I watch as she gives Isabella a look of contempt and superiority.

Isabella looks at Seth and Leah who are upset over the cashier's hostility. I can clearly see that Isabella is about to cave and give in to the bitch. I can tell she is trying to keep them from becoming even more upset. Before I know it, I am paying closer attention to what is happening and considering intervening.

"Look, I only have enough money for my groceries if I use the coupon for the ice cream. Can't you please just ring it through with the coupon? It takes just as much time to do that, as it does to take something off the total and return it to the shelf," Isabella says looking around as she speaks.

"Well then, I guess you should take the ice cream and go put it back yourself. If you can't afford it, you shouldn't have taken it!" The bitchy cashier picks up the ice cream to take it off the bill, when I step forward.

I take the ice cream from her hands, and put it in the bag. Then I take the coupon from Isabella, scan it through and hit the total key. Without saying a word, I grab Isabella's money and extend it to the bitch with a smile. Throughout this entire sequence, both women remain slack-jawed and silent. Finally, after the cashier stands there looking at me for what seems like two minutes, I am still holding the money out to her.

I sigh, "Are you able to put the money in the cash register and give her the change or do you need me to show you how to do that as well?" I ask the cashier in a rather snarky tone.

The bitch looks at me with her mouth open; it takes her a good few minutes to come around. Her eyes get big as the realization that she's been made to look like a fool sets in.

Isabella clears her throat and I see from the corner of my eye that her face has turned red, including her neck and the top of her chest. She then rolls her eyes at the cashier's lack of response. "Excuse me; can I get my change please? Then if you want you can go back to ogling Profes. . ." she stops midway through, "him," she nods her head in my direction.

The cashier gives Isabella her change without looking at it. "You've given me too much," Isabella says as she counts the money. I watch in amazement as Isabella sorts out the money, only putting the correct change in her pocket before handing back the rest.

She gives me a half-smile and a quick nod, before leaving the store. As the cashier who I have re-named 'the bitch', stands there in awe watching Isabella leave, I ring up my bill of groceries. I mean really, I did this job in high school; it's not like its rocket science. Once you learn how to do this, it's like riding a bike, you never forget. My total is a few pennies shy of sixty dollars, so I wave three twenties in the cashier's face and bag my groceries. I grab the bags and run out to see if I can still catch Isabella. After what happened in there, she has me completely intrigued. I know many people who would have just kept the extra money, especially after the way she was treated.

By the time I am out of the store, Isabella and her siblings are gone. I look around, but I can't see which way they went. I sigh, wishing I had brought Isabella's schedule with me. Smiling, I remember that it's in my jacket pocket. I head home to pick it up.

I place my ice cream in the freezer, and quickly put away the rest of my purchases. Running into my room I grab the sheet of paper, and read through it. I see that Isabella should be at the Break Away Hotel and Spa right now. According to the address, it's about a ten minute walk from the hospital.

I get in my car and drive over there. After finding a place to park, I watch for her. It's a little after nine when I get arrive. I sit in my car unsure of what to do next. Shit, I don't even know what I'm doing! I sigh and rub my face. This is crazy, what the fuck am I doing stalking some girl? I turn my keys, re-starting my car and as I look out the rear view mirror, Isabella passes by. I find this strange, because she left before I did, she should have been here before now. The club that Seth and Leah go to is on the way here. There is also a bus stop located right outside. Almost an hour has passed from the time I last saw her. As Isabella enters the hotel, I look at the schedule again hoping the answer is there.

**Isabella's Schedule**

**7:00 AM - Makes breakfast for Leah and Seth**

**8:00 AM - Gets fresh fruit from the grocery store**

**8:20 AM - Walks with Leah and Seth to school/club group dropping them off at 8:40 AM**

**9:30 AM-3:00 PM - Works as a chamber maid at the Break Away Hotel and Spa**

**3:30 PM - Collects Leah and Seth up from club/school**

**4:30 PM - Gives Leah and Seth dinner**

**5:00 PM – Drops the kids off with me (Yes me, the crazy lady. Don't think that I don't know what you call me.)**

**5:20 PM-9:20 PM - Cleans at the college**

**9:40 PM - Collects Leah and Seth**

**10:00 PM – Gets Seth and Leah ready for bed**

**She only works one weekend out of eight. She usually spends them with Leah and Seth. She takes them out, choosing activities that they enjoy. On sunny days she takes them to the park and does drawings for people. She sells them for five bucks. She is really good; you should ask her to draw for you. **

**They attend Zion church on Sunday mornings.**

It looks like she works long hours. If my calculations are correct, she averages about nine and a half hours a day just at work, in addition to all the time and effort she puts into taking care of Seth and Leah. As I take it all in, I realize that this situation just keeps getting stranger. I look back at the schedule and continue reading the notes at the bottom.

**In case you're wondering, Isabella tends to walk everywhere. **

Why doesn't she just take the bus?

As I am trying to figure out this girl, who has become an enigma to me, I turn off my engine and get out of my car to have a look around the hotel. As I go in, I see that they are moving to a bigger location on the other side of town. It will be located about fifteen miles away. There is no way that Isabella can walk that twice a day. I walk out of the lobby and go back to my car, looking back through the notes to see if I can pick up anything new in them.

As I sit in my car listening to music; I'm thinking this over and making notes on Isabella. After a while, I decide to get out and walk around. As I move around the hotel, I see some of the staff outside on break. I stick around watching each group come out, but not once do I see Isabella with any of them. Walking back into the hotel, I begin to look around. It takes me a few minutes, but I find her on the top floor cleaning some of the rooms. She looks as if she is doing them by herself.

I keep a good distance away from her, but continue to watch her. I notice that she does her job well, but without any interaction from the other staff members. It's almost as if she is invisible to them.

I go unnoticed by Isabella, but some of the female staff members begin to pay attention to me. One particularly trampy-looking girl comes over and approaches me. "Hello I'm Jessica, are you staying with us?" I notice she has strategically undone the top buttons of her uniform.

I move my eyes away from her before I answer. "No, I am actually looking for someone."

She moves closer, trying to get me to look at her. "Oh! Tell me who and maybe I can help you."

I sigh and make eye contact with her, which makes her smile like a cheshire cat. "I am looking for Isabella Swan."

I may as well try to get some information from her. "Who? I'm sorry; I don't think we have anyone by that name staying here." She tilts her head trying, but failing miserably, to look sexy.

"No, she's not staying here, she works here. She's a small girl, with long brown hair, twisted up in the back." She looks even more confused now and shakes her head.

Just then I notice Isabella coming out of the service elevator. "There she is," I say pointing in the right direction.

Jessica looks behind her, and shrugs. "Why would you want her? I don't think she can even speak, well not English anyway!" Jessica turns back to me with a big smile on her face. "Are you with immigration; are you here to deport her?

I frown at her. "What? No, I'm not! Why would she be deported, she's an American. I just want to know more about her; what she likes, and what she does in her spare time."

Jessica screws up her face and nearly screeches. "Why would you want to know anything about her? I mean really, she never talks to anyone, I didn't even know her name before you told me what it was! I can't even tell you how long she has worked here."

Jessica attempts to give me some information, but after hearing the shit she spews from her mouth, I come to a solid conclusion. Isabella doesn't, in fact, associate with her co-workers, not at all. It's pretty clear that she keeps to herself.

**~HCV~**

The next few days go by with me watching and following Isabella. She is indeed a creature of habit, as each day she follows her schedule religiously. I have noticed that she really only speaks to Seth, Leah, and Zafrina. The only other time I have noticed her speaking to anyone else is when she is being directly spoken to.

I decide to go to the college to look at the staff records. I locate her personal information; I guess if I am going to stalk her, I might as well do it right. I don't end up finding much at all. Her full name is Isabella Marie Swan, and she turns twenty-four on the thirteenth of September. I read down further to find her home address, which I already knew. I see that she has worked for the college for the past four and a half years. The two things that surprise me the most is that she doesn't get any health benefits and her hourly wages are pathetic. She is making a measly nine dollars an hour which is not a whole hell of a lot. I have a feeling that her other job pays around the same. I know she works close to forty hours a week at the hotel and she works twenty-five here. The college pays monthly and the hotel pays bi-weekly. So she is averaging about nine hundred a month from the college and about six hundred every other week from the hotel. I don't know how she survives on that, not with raising her siblings.

Today is Friday; I know that I have about twenty minutes or so before Isabella comes out. I head over to a nearby café to get some coffee; apparently stalking fuels my caffeine addiction, who knew? After enduring through the waitress flirting with me, I walk back to my car with my cardboard cup of coffee. I see that the security guard is locking up. Checking my watch, I see that Isabella has about five more minutes before she will be done for the night. I run over to him, worried that he is accidently locking her into the building.

"I think someone is still in there," I say as I approach him.

He looks at me strangely. "Hey Professor Masen, are you feeling better?" The guard asks, as he continues to lock the doors.

"I am feeling much better, but I really think that one of the cleaning girls is still in there. Did you check? I never saw her leave."

"I have checked all of the rooms and corridors. There is nobody in the building, Professor. The last cleaning person has just left, and she always leaves last."

I close my eyes, and run my fingers through my hair. "Okay, do you mean the small girl with really long brown hair?"

He nods his head and points in the direction she always walks, nodding his head as he walks away. I'm sure he thinks I have lost my mind.

I move quickly over to my car, and start to drive down the road where she walks. I come up to the park she cuts through, and I don't see her anywhere. I park and get out of the car, slamming my door shut as I head down the trail she takes. I hope I can catch up with her. I have officially lost it! Fuck, I have no idea what's going on with me right now. This whole stalking thing has really not been good for my mental health at all, but in a strange way, I will miss it when I go back to work on Monday.

"Hey there little girl, you look lost. Do you need some help?" I hear a voice saying after making cat calls. I don't hear a reply. "Come on cutie pie, come over here. I don't bite, well not at first." I hear more than one voice now; the second is laughing at the other's comments. I feel a little nervous about these guys, so I pick up my pace trying to locate where the voices are coming from.

As I get further down the trail, I see a group of males in the park. It is the same fucking assholes from Sunday night, and they have someone surrounded. I have put Isabella completely out of my mind, focusing solely on helping whoever is between them. As one of them moves, I am momentarily stopped in my tracks, because Isabella is the one who is being taunted. She is trying her best to get away from them, but they are blocking her every move.

The tallest one reaches out and grabs her arm, this gets me moving again. I can see Isabella hit him hard in the face, busting his nose. She turns quickly and knees another in the balls, then tries to run past them. The bigger one pulls her back by her hair and punches her sending her to the ground. As he goes to hit her again, I run up and catch his arm. He looks at me, obviously surprised, and I hit him as hard as I can. I feel his friends grab at me, trying to pull me off the fucker, but these guys have pissed me off! First with their actions on Sunday to me, my car, and the lady whose purse they snatched; and now, by hitting my girl. I _really_ don't want to think about the disgusting things they were planning on doing to her.

I hit the big guy again, as one of the fuckers behind me pulls at me. I turn to them in a rage, and they all look at me and take a step back. They pull their hurt friend up, still looking at me. They all have turned white, and I hear them mumbling as they run off.

I turn, looking at Isabella who is still in a heap on the ground. I see that they have ripped her jacket, and her top. She has a large bruise on her face, as well as a busted lip. My eyes travel down her body, looking for further damage caused by these punks. Her left hand appears to be bruised and swollen. This must be the hand she punched him with. Her legs have some scrapes and cuts, but my eyes go back to her face and I see that she is looking right at me.

"Isabella, it's okay. It's me, Professor Masen," I say. I reach down toward her and hold out my hand, moving slowly trying not to scare her even more than she already is. "I'm not going to hurt you; I just want to help you get up." Isabella moves her eyes from mine, and then closes them. I see her lips moving, but no sound comes out. "Isabella," I say, but stop speaking as her eyes open. I watch as she slowly and gingerly gets up on her own. I take a step towards her, but stop when I see her take a large step away from me.

"I. . .I. . ." Isabella whispers out in a stutter. She clears her throat, and blinks a few times. "I am alright Professor Masen, thank you." Her words are still shaky. Hell, her whole body is shaking so badly, she looks like she is vibrating.

"Isabella my car is just up there," I say pointing toward the parking lot. "Come with me, I can take a look at you and then drive you home."

"No! I mean, no thank you professor. I am sorry, but I need to go now," she says moving away from me. Fuck, why in God's name did I push her? Now she looks even more scared than she was. I can't let her go, not like this. She helped me, I need. . .no I want to help her.

"Isabella wait, can I please take a quick look at you first? Please let me help you, you looked after me when I was hurting. I have a first aid kit in my car; it will only take a minute for me to make sure you are not hurt too badly. I can fix you up before you head home. I know you wouldn't want to scare your brother and sister going home looking like that." I know I am using guilt to get what I want, but I just need to make sure she is okay.

I see her look at her hands and legs as she nods her head. "Are you sure? I don't want to take up your time."

I look at her and smile. "I'm sure. Come on, let's get you fixed up."

She bites her bottom lip, and looks at me nervously. "I don't have to get into your car, do I?"

What a strange thing to ask me, but I can see how scared she is. "No you don't have to get in it, not if you don't want to."

She nods her head again, wrapping her jacket around herself as best she can. She walks up to where I am standing, but keeps a good distance between us. We walk to my car in silence, and I watch her from the corner of my eye the entire time. She is still shaking and I can see how tense she is just from the look on her face. I wonder if this girl will ever relax, she seems to be tense quite a bit.

When we get to my car she stays at the edge of the park entrance. I grab the first aid kit and walk to the bench by the wall. I motion for her to sit down. She cautiously moves over to the bench and sits on the very edge. It's almost like she is planning a quick retreat; like she's about to make a run for it.

I sigh, taking out a few things I will need. I decide to fix her hand first, because it is the least intimate place on her body that's hurt. I also use my long arms to give her plenty of space and keep a good distance from her. I hope she can tell that I won't hurt her, and that she can trust me. I need her to trust me, so I can move closer to care for all her injuries.

I take her hand, wiping it clean, and checking over her knuckles for any apparent breaks. "How did you know that I have a brother and a sister?"

I look up at her and see her looking at our hands. Her breathing is shallow and she is still shaking. "I saw you with them at the grocery store, remember?" I give her a smile.

"Oh yeah, I remember, but how did you know that they were my brother and sister? It's just that. . .most people. . .never mind, it's stupid I guess." I see that she has turned red and is biting her bottom lip again.

"When I saw you, I heard them talking when they called you Bella. If they had been your children, they would have called you mom, plus you're a little young to have children their age. You also talked about having dinner together, so I figured that you spend a lot of time with them. I guess I just came to the conclusion that you were their big sister." Isabella nods her head, accepting my answer. "You're going to need to put some ice on your hand when you get home. I don't think it's broken, but you're going to have some nasty bruises. May I take a look at your knees now?" I watch as Isabella closes her eyes turning toward me a little. She lifts her knees just a bit, but grips her skirt tightly and wraps it under her legs.

"Can I ask why they called you Bella, and not Isabella? Is Bella your nickname, or just a name that only family calls you?" I look at her, only moving my eyes up. I see that she has a smile on her face as soon as I ask about her brother and sister calling her Bella.

"They couldn't say Isabella when they were toddlers. I wore a bell all the time and Seth loved it. When I'd go into his room he would shout bell-bell. Soon after that he started calling me Bell, and then it became Bella. I like Bella, it's so much better than Isabella." I wonder what she means when she says she wore a bell. That is such a strange thing to say. But she looks really happy talking about why they call her Bella.

"So do you prefer to be called Bella by everyone, or is that just for Seth and Leah?" Her eyes have a little twinkle to them as I say Bella to her.

"I really like Bella, but that's not my name." She looks upset at this.

"Yeah I know, but my friend Emmett likes to be called Emmie by his friends and family. His name for me is Ed and I hate it, but I let him call me that because if I stop him, he will start calling me Eddie again, and I hate that even more." I chuckle a little remembering Emmie giving me the choice between Ed and Eddie; by using his big bad lawyer voice, he won out with Ed. "Okay Bella," I smile. Yeah, she likes that much better than Isabella, I think I do too.

"I need to fix your lip, but I am going to have to move closer to you. If you need me to move back or stop altogether, just let me know, okay?" She bites her lip again, nodding her head. "You really need to stop doing that for a few days, or you'll make your lip worse." I slowly move closer to her. I don't know why, but it pisses me off that this frightens her. Her body language indicates that this situation is not comfortable for her, and it angers me to think about what could have happened to make her like this.

I slowly take care of her lip by applying some lip balm to help her cracked flesh. I try my best not to stare at her, but being with her this evening has increased the fascination I have for her. "Okay Bella, it looks like you're all fixed up now."

She moves quickly off the bench, and stands on the sidewalk. "Thank you, but I better go. I am going to be late."

I walk over to my car quickly. "Wait a minute. Please Bella?" I ask her questioningly.

She turns to me with a puzzled look on her face. "I am going to put the first aid box back in my car, and then I am walking you home."

I chuckle as her faces goes into shock. "You don't need to do that. I will be fine, really. I always walk home this way."

I shake my head as she speaks. "Bella, you were attacked not fifteen minutes ago. You don't want to get in my car and that is fine, but I _am_ walking you home. If not walking with you, then I will just follow you, looking like a stalker. Either way, I am making sure you get home safely." I raise my eyebrows at her as I speak. I watch as she opens her mouth, but I hold my hand up, stopping her. "Bella let's go, you're already running late." I walk up to her, keeping a good distance between us.

Bella turns, looking at me before giving me a nod and a small smile, and begins walking. I find myself wanting to know more about her. "How long have you worked at the college?" I look at Bella as I ask my question.

Bella turns her head to me and glances at my eyes before looking at the ground. "Over four years."

"It's just you, Seth, and Leah?" She doesn't answer my question, but nods her head just a little, before she stops herself. I know that movement was a glimpse into her subconscious and the truth. Fuck, it's just the three of them, no wonder she is so scared! I can see that what I'm asking her is making her upset so I change the subject. "What were you listening to?"

She looks at me appearing confused, so I point to the device in her jacket pocket. She blushes again and smiles. I am starting to think she will blush at everything I say. "It's a book on tape," she takes the tape recorder out of her jacket pocket. Shit, I have not seen one of those in about fifteen years! Bella hands it to me, and I open it to see that she has been listening to _Pride and Prejudice_. "You were listening to this while you work?" I raise my eyebrows at her, as she nods her head. "Have you read the books?"

Bella shakes her head no. "I tend to listen to them when I am working, it's easer that way."

I smile at her again. "What others have you listened to?" I ask, as I hand it back to her.

"I am not really sure of some of their names, but last week I was listening to one, I think it was _Juliet and Romeo_, and the other one was _Beauty's Beast_. I think that was what they were called. I know that was the names of the main people in them. Have you ever heard of those stories?" A huge smile appears on my face as Bella blushes again.

"Sorry, I guess that's a stupid thing to ask. Did I get the names right?"

"Almost, it's _Romeo and Juliet_, and _Beauty and the Beast_. What did you think of them?" Bella bites her lip again. "Bella you really need to stop doing that, it's going to bleed again." I chuckle as she blushes again and looks down, but stops biting on her lip.

"I found _Romeo and Juliet_ sad when they died, but I think that's what made me remember it. I like how they fell in love, even though their parents didn't like each other. They were willing to die for each other, but I think that I like 'happy ever after' stories better. _Romeo and Juliet_ made me cry for days.

"I liked _Beauty and the Beast_ a lot. Seth is the one that gave it to me and said that I had to listen to it, because of my name. He said her name was like what he calls me. I didn't really get the ending, though, and why he turned back into a human. I understand being a prince is great, but Belle fell in love with him the way he was. Wouldn't changing him into a human make him go back to acting like a jerk? I guess I just don't understand," she says, frowning a little at the end.

"I think the writer was trying to show that she fell in love with what was inside of him, and the outside made no difference. She was able to see the real him; she saw past the ugliness. By truly loving him, no matter what he looked like, she broke the curse that was on him and his staff."

She shakes her head at my interpretation. "But when they first met he wasn't very nice, inside or out. She had to get past that. Then he changed for her, and became the person he was meant to be. I just feel that he shouldn't have changed his appearance, she accepted him for who he was. Isn't that what true love is supposed to be about? In real life if he was in a fire and was badly burned, his scars wouldn't just disappear and heal because he found true love. I just feel if he looks like his old self, what is to stop him from becoming that person on the inside again?" Bella looks down and clear her throat "I am really not sure if I got the whole thing anyway, I just like listening to them. This is me," she says and I look to see that we are outside her apartment building.

"Good night Bella, it was nice talking to you," I say. I give her one last smile, and walk away. As I turn back to look, I see her walking inside.

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><p>AN: Well it would seem that our Darkward may have found his heart, what do you think? Beware of the next chapter it will remind you why we call him Darkward. (Kasi said she wanted to beat him down and feed him his own genitals after writing her part of chapter 5.)…All reviews get a teaser. What do you think of the redemption he is showing, and what do you think Edward could possibly be doing in the next chapter that has Kasi so mad?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to S. Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. Huge thanks to Jess2002 and MustangMel1968 for being our BETA's. Thanks to: ****Sarah, Amanda, and Jessica J. for pre-reading for us. **

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><p><strong>Please take a moment and go vote at the lemonade stand blogspot, this story is on the poll this week. Voting ends in just over 24 hours, and we are falling fast we need the votes. <strong>

**THANK YOU. Nikky and Kasi~ **

**www tehlemonadestand blogspot com **

**(just add the (dots) where the gaps are.) :-) _Enjoy the early update!_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Walls We Build<strong>

_Laughing and returning Bella's sweet smile, I watch as she comes over to me shyly, and looks to the ground while biting her lip. She tentatively looks toward the seat next to me on the park bench._

"_Have a seat," I say, patting the spot beside me. I am completely engrossed by her and I watch as she slowly sits next to me. "How are you today?" _

_She looks up at me and smiles again. "I'm good, Professor." _

_I reach out to her, and as I touch her hand, she grabs onto mine. I caress the top of her hand with my fingers. "I want to help you. Will you let me?" She smiles at me, nodding her head and squeezing my hand._

_I watch as everything quickly changes before my eyes. Suddenly I am in my house, and Bella is sitting with me. As I look at her, I see that she's happy and I know that I have broken down her walls; she looks completely different now. I'm talking to her about a book, but I can't see which book I'm holding. I hear a knock on the door, and Bella whispers "Thank God," as she runs to the door. I look in her direction, and I hear her laughing as she walks in holding Tanya's arm. "You're right, he is easy, and what a fucking bore! Shit, all I heard is, 'read this book, it's so fucking great.' Blah. . . Blah. . . Blah. . ." Bella rolls her eyes at the end of her rant._

_Tanya walks over to me, with a huge smirk. "Did you miss me, Honey? What do you think of Bella, the 'poor little lost girl'? I knew that you would like her; you always did have a hero complex." I stare at them both; opened-mouthed and gasping for air. I can feel a panic attack building in my chest. Why, why did I have to go and open my heart up to this girl? Now it's broken again, and she has played me like the fool I am; just like the others before her._

_I glare at Tanya, knowing she has ruined this for me. "You can't be here, you're dead." I shout out, as she laughs at me. _

"_This is your dream Honey; I don't know why I'm here." She smiles at me and sits down. I turn, looking at Bella. She's nothing like the girl I've watched these past few days. She has a look of evil about her, and sneers at me with contempt in her eyes. _

_My mind goes back to the first time I met Tanya. She had the appearance of an innocent 'girl next door'. She worked part-time at the library, and her father, Eleazar, was a pastor. We met when I was at the library studying for a few of my undergraduate classes. I talked to her each time I went in; she was so fucking beautiful. I stuttered when I spoke to her, but she never made me feel ill at ease. She always smiled shyly, and looked at me as if I had hung the moon. Then one night her ex-boyfriend had been hanging around, and she was afraid to walk home alone. I offered to walk with her and we talked the whole way there. She laughed at my jokes, and smiled at all the appropriate moments. We started dating soon after that. I was so happy that someone finally loved me for me. She even got along well with my friends. The only person who didn't like her was Esme._

_Three months later, I met her father for the first time. Eleazar was very strict with Tanya, treating her as if she were a child and not allowing her to do much of anything. We were both nineteen and in our first year of college, and she wasn't even allowed to choose her own major. He was very controlling, and to say that he hated me was quite the understatement! I begged her to come live with me. I told her that I had money and could buy us an apartment. Tanya never stayed with me though; she always went home to her father. _

_I even confided in her about how my mom walked away from me, never to be seen again. I shared with her everything my mom told me the last time I saw her, including the fact that I was better off without her. Tanya was the first, and only, person I have told about being abandoned by my mother. I explained to her how my mom legally signed over all of my father's money and quite a large sum from her parent's as well. I tried every argument I could think of, but it didn't make a difference. I loved and needed her so much, and it was slowly killing me that she wouldn't move in with me._

_We had been dating four months when we began having sex. She was my first, and she told me that I was hers, as well. Knowing what I know now, I'm fairly certain that was another of her lies. After we had been together for six months, things started falling apart. She came to me and told me she had missed her period. She cried on my shoulder as she recounted going to a drug store and buying a pregnancy test that turned out to be positive. Her fear was that her father would disown her for having a child out of wedlock. She swore that he would kill me for getting his daughter pregnant. We talked the whole night, and decided she would have an abortion. I let her choose, but I really wanted to marry her and have the baby._

_The appointment was booked for the following week, but I still tried with everything I had to talk her into marrying me. I would hold her and hug her each day, as she cried on my shoulder. It killed me to see how sad she was, not to mention how devastated I was at the loss of my unborn child. _

_The night before the abortion we made love all night long. It was our way of saying goodbye. After the procedure, she was going to California to live with her aunt for a few months. Everything was paid for; I had given her my credit card to cover all the fees. I even paid for her first class plane ticket to Los Angeles. I had decided to give her some of the jewelry my mother had left for me to give to my future wife. It had belonged to my father's great-grandmother and had been passed down to each succeeding generation. The entire set was worth around seven hundred thousand dollars, but I had no qualms about giving a portion of it to her, because she had agreed to return soon so that we could be married. I wanted her to have the necklace from the set so she would know how much I loved her. _

_As Carlisle and Esme were in possession of the jewelry, we had to go to their home to retrieve it. When we arrived at the Cullen's, we were met by an irate and livid Esme. She had somehow figured out that Tanya was not telling the truth and demanded that she take a pregnancy test right there, on the spot. We argued, but Esme refused to relinquish the jewelry or the money I had promised Tanya. I don't remember everything that was said, but Esme started asking her who she really was. I listened as Esme told me of her suspicions._

_After Esme forced Tanya to take the test and confirmed that it was negative; I was crushed. I mean, I was okay with us being too young to have a child, but Tanya lying about being pregnant was more than I could bear. My heart was broken and shattered as Tanya had no choice but to confirm that she had lied to me the entire time. I watched as she changed right before my eyes. She began ranting and cursing at me, becoming someone I didn't recognize at all._

_Tanya left empty-handed that day, taking only my bruised and battered heart with her. I was devastated and as the weeks passed by, I became more and more depressed. I know that some people spend a lot of time and money to overcome their depression, but when I discovered thousands of dollars missing from my bank account, I went straight from depressed to angry. I never did find out why she lied to me. Was it a scam to separate me from my money or was she trying to get away from her controlling father? The part of me that loved her wanted to believe that she wouldn't have used me like that; but my head knew better._

_As I look back on what happened, I can still hear her laughter. She told me I was the biggest bore she had ever met and the lousiest fuck that she had ever had. She said that I wasn't worth her time, and she could completely understand why my mother had left me. She even tried to make me believe that I was responsible for my mother's illness. It was those enlightening revelations that caused me to sell all of the jewelry, and close off what was left of my heart. I could no longer stand to look at the jewels that were meant for my wife, and I had no desire to be with any other women, so they were completely useless to me._

_As I come out of my dizzy spell, and my breathing returns to normal, I have managed to avoid a panic attack. I look at Bella and my heart breaks as I notice that she turned out just like Tanya. I cared for her, but I can't and won't fall for that shit again. _

_I feel like I am sinking into quicksand and as I look around I see Bella, Tanya, Esme, Rose, Alice, my mother, the four girls from Aro's club, and every girl I have ever taken on a date. They're all in front of me pointing and laughing. Then their taunting starts and I feel my world crashing in on me all over again. "You're alone Edward; no one loves you for who you are, it's always going to be your money they want. You're a pathetic excuse for a man, and every girl will use and abuse you because that is all you're good for." I look at them trying to figure out who is talking, but it looks like they all are. I can hear their voices; they keep repeating their mantra getting louder each time. It feels as if they are shouting their hateful words directly into my head. As I continue sinking, hearing them getting louder and louder, I shake in fear and try to catch my breath. Suddenly my body bolts up gasping for air._

I feel myself awake with a jolt, and sit straight up; no longer gasping, but still struggling to calm down. My breathing is rapid and there is sweat covering my whole body. Fuck! That was some dream! Walking into my bathroom, I turn on the water letting it heat up before stepping in the shower. I close my eyes and look up letting the hot, soothing water hit my face. Taking a few calming breaths, I try to shake off the nightmare.

Leaning my left arm against the wall to support myself, I bow my head. With my eyes closed, I can feel the steaming water cascading down my back. Fuck, this is not working! The dream has left me with a sick feeling in my stomach. My heart is starting to race and as I open my eyes, I notice my hands are shaking. Realizing that the shower is not helping, I step out and look for the pills Dr. Hall prescribed for me. I take two of them and wash them down with some orange juice. After sitting in my living room for an hour wearing nothing more than a towel, the medicine in my system has taken effect and I am now calm. I walk to my bedroom and get dressed before driving to UW.

When I arrive on campus, Ihead to Marcus' office to find out what happened during my absence. After finding that everything went according to plan, I walk to my classroom to prepare for my first class.

The day passes by in a blur, and I look at my watch knowing that Bel. . . shit, no, Isabella will be coming in soon. With that thought, I pack up my things and leave my room. As I head to the main entrance, I see her coming toward the door. From the corner of my eye, I see her smile as she steps aside to let me through. I intentionally ignore her as I walk out letting the door close behind me and continuing to walk away.

As the week passes, things begin to return to normal with some parts of it turning out better than others. I am pleased that I haven't seen much of Isabella. This has been one of the highlights of my week with one of the worst things being the pain in my chest keeps slowly increasing.

It's Friday and I am just about done with my work, when I hear a light tap at my door. I look at my watch and sigh. "Yes?" I say questioningly, without raising my eyes. As the door opens, I know without a doubt that it's Isabella.

"Professor, I am here to clean your classroom. Would you like me to come back later?" Her voice is so soft and timid that I can barely make out her question.

"No, it's fine. You can do it now," again I speak without looking at her. I hear her clearing her throat a few times, and I can sense that she's looking at me.

I hear her clear her throat once more as she moves toward my desk. "Professor Masen is there. . . Um, have I done, did I do something wrong? I. . . I'm sorry if I did," her voice is shaky and nervous. I disregard the hurt I hear in her voice, reminding myself that she merely sounds just like Tanya, and every other female out there.

Realizing that there is nothing that I can gain from being her friend, I answer her. "Isabella you are here to clean the room, not chat with the teaching staff. Please keep that in mind. You may have nothing better to do, but I have work to complete and I would like to get home at some point today. If you are done cleaning then please leave, if not then I suggest you get back to it." I glance at her and instantly wish that I hadn't. The hurt that flashes across her face is clear to see, but the hurt in her eyes almost brings me to my knees. She nods her head at me, before she gets back to work.

I had hoped that avoiding her would get easier as the weeks passed, but it hasn't. Isabella hasn't spoken to me again. In fact, she has completely avoided me by not returning to my classroom at all. The Monday after our confrontation I found that another cleaning person had been assigned to my room. I have seen her on occasion and I've passed her in the hallway, but she never looks at me, preferring to keep her head down. The number of times that I have seen her grows smaller, until one day it occurs to me that it has been almost two weeks since I last saw her. It's also nearing the end of the summer term, and I have a large number of exams and papers to grade.

I pack up my work as the newly assigned cleaning person enters the room. He's listening to hip hop, and never knocks or asks to come in. In fact, I've noticed that my classroom hasn't been cleaned properly since the last time Isabella did it. I look out the window and sigh as I notice the rain coming down in torrents. I grab my coat and umbrella quickly pulling the coat on tightly, and heading down the corridor and out of the building. It's days like today that make me thankful that I always park close to the main doors.

As I head down the steps wrestling with my umbrella, my messenger bag hits something hard. I don't see anything there, so I continue moving. When I reach my car, I throw my bag in the backseat before opening my own door. As I move to get in, I look back at the building I've just left and see someone on the ground by the steps. I watch as they stand, and then bend to pick something up from the ground. Oh God, I must have hit them with my bag! I was in such a rush to get to my car. I leave my car door open as I run back to the steps. I stop short as the person looks up, and my breath hitches in my throat. Standing there is Isabella. She looks at me for a split second before picking up the last piece from the ground and moving to the trash can to throw it away. Before I can say anything, she quickly enters the building. I walk over to the trash can and take out what she placed inside. I see that it was her tape recorder, which is irrevocably damaged. What the fuck? I'm certain that I would have noticed Isabella coming in, right? Why the hell didn't I see her? It's then that it hits me like a freight train that she has become as invisible to me as she is to everyone else. I put the recorder back in the trash, knowing that it is beyond repair.

I walk over to my car; this entire situation has me rattled to the core. What is wrong with me? I just knocked a young girl down a flight of stairs. I caused her only means of entertainment to be shattered across the cement steps. I glance at the clock and notice that it is already past six o'clock, which means she's late today. She's never late; I wonder what's going on? I try thinking of the last time I saw her, I know it's been around two weeks. I thought maybe she was on vacation, but now I'm not so sure.

My phone rings, startling me. "Hello," I snap, still deeply engrossed in the myriad of thoughts swirling inside my head.

"Edward, is everything okay? Are you still coming to the club tonight?"

I frown, wondering why Aro is calling me. "Yes of course, I'll be there at my usual time." I sigh, rubbing my head. I'm always there at seven, he knows this.

"Edward it's a quarter past nine," Aro chuckles through the phone.

I look at my watch and see that it is indeed nine fifteen. "Shit I'm sorry, I lost track of time. I'll be there soon," I say hanging up the phone and starting my car. Taking extra care, I look around the car before taking off. As I put the car in gear, I notice Isabella coming back out of the building. I see that she is limping a little and a huge load of guilt washes over me. I move the car and pull up next to her.

"Isabella let me drive you home, you're hurt." I put a smile on my face as I speak to her. She looks at me, shakes her head, and continues limping down the sidewalk. I sigh and rub my face before running my fingers through my hair tightly. Her limp is really bothering me, more so than usual because I know that I am solely responsible for her injury. I park the car and get out, running after her.

"Isabella, wait please." I grip her hand only to have her pull back so harshly that she trips and falls again. Fuck! Shit! I bend down to help her up, but she moves away from me.

"I'm okay, please I need to go."

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

"Bella," I say trying her nickname hoping it will relax her; it worked the first time she was hurt.

"Isabella," she says, and I frown, looking at her. "My name is Isabella. I do not need, nor do I want to get into your car. Please leave me alone," her voice is low and weak. The look she gives me unsettles me even more. She looks right at me, and her eyes are full of so much pain and hurt. I struggle to keep eye contact, because I know beyond all doubt that I am one of the people who have put that pain in those beautiful brown eyes. Suddenly it dawns on me that she has just forbidden me to call her Bella. I nod my head at her and watch as she limps away. I have a strong urge to follow her, but I also know that I need to get to Aro's. It only takes a few seconds of thought before I am walking along the path that I know she takes. I keep a good distance between us, and she never turns around, for which I am grateful. I let out a long breath when she enters her apartment. I walk back to my car, and call Aro to tell him that I have been further delayed.

**~HCV~**

It's Monday, and the last full week of the summer semester. Riley applied to UW and got his acceptance letter just this past week. He was excited to show it to me. He is going to play football and major in English, which means he will be one of my students. I have managed to build some trust with Bree. She is now talking and laughing with the other students during class. She is still on the quiet side, but I found out her father works on an oil rig and her mother is deaf. Maybe this is why she doesn't talk so much.

I am handing back assignments that need corrections, allowing the students a last chance to fix any small problems with their work. The day goes by quickly and I decide to head over to the library. I stop by the office to speak with Miss Cope, but I hesitate at her door as I hear her talking with a patron.

"Have you finished listening to the tape already, Isabella?" I frown, but keep eavesdropping.

"No, I'm sorry, but it's broken. I tried to fix it but I don't know if it will play anymore." Isabella's voice is clear.

I look in and see that she seems comfortable with Miss Cope. "Oh dear, what happened?" Miss Cope asks, rubbing Isabella's arm. I am amazed that Isabella doesn't flinch or move, but Miss Cope only touches her for a brief moment.

"I fell down the steps, and my recorder broke into pieces when it hit the ground. I had to throw it away, but when I tried to get the tape out, it got stuck and broke. I am so sorry; I will pay for it I promise." The guilt over what happened last Friday comes back, and I feel sick all over again for hurting Isabella, not just on Friday, but over the last month.

"No dear I told you it's fine, no one even checks them out anymore. They all use CD players and iPods now. I'm glad someone was getting some enjoyment from them. Don't worry about the tape, I won't even be replacing it, but I am sorry to hear about your tape recorder. Have you been able to get another one?" Miss Cope asks, taking a seat across from Isabella.

I see her shrug her shoulders and shake her head. "Not right now. Leah and Seth need clothes for school, and the church is taking them on a camping trip in November. I need to start saving to pay for all that, and I still haven't found another cleaning job. So," Isabella stops talking as she rubs her head almost if she has a headache.

"You still have a week or two left with them, right?"

She shakes her head. "No, he told me on Friday that this is my last week, so I need to find a job fast. I even asked for more hours here, but they have nothing." Miss Cope stands up, and goes over to comfort Isabella, but this time she backs away. "I'm fine, we'll be fine. I will find a job; I'm going tonight to see the person who helped me get this job. I hope that he'll know of something. I need to go to work now, sorry again." Isabella gives a small wave, as she opens the door. I look right at her as she comes out, but she ignores me once again.

I close my eyes, telling myself to stop feeling guilty. It's all just an act; a big, fucking act played by an Oscar-worthy actress. The week does not get much better for me, and by the time Friday arrives, I am feeling stressed out and pissed off. I've already called Aro to tell him what I need tonight. All I want is to fuck the shit out of someone. I mean really fuck them, hard and rough. I need the hard release from no holds barred, rough sex. I want whoever I see tonight to still feel it tomorrow and stay sore for a while. Most of this stress is due to my guilty feelings toward Isabella. Fucking women, I shouldn't feel guilty about anything. I was not her friend; I never said I was. I was helping her, it's not my fault she fell down the steps. She's just lying to me, to everyone. That's the way the game works, the more that people feel sorry for her, the more they will give her. There's nothing like looking for the next big hand out, or some shit.

After I am finished, I have a drink while I wait to talk to Aro. I spent my normal time fucking Irina so hard that I know her inner thighs will be bruised. After three solid hours of ramming my cock in her, it still wasn't enough. I paid Aro extra to have Sally, who just happened to be available, for a few hours. Looking around for Aro, I see him talking to some clients. I sigh, looking at the bartender. I shake my glass showing him I want another drink. I walk to the bathroom and feel someone knock against me; I look up seeing no one, but then I hear the voice that has haunted my dreams lately. "Sorry Sir." I look down, seeing Isabella walk past me. I know she saw me, and I watch as she walks over to Aro. Half the bar is looking at her licking their lips. I don't understand why this bothers me so much. Why the fuck do I want to kick the crap out of them? Aro looks at her and quickly moves away from the gentlemen he was with and toward her.

I watch horror-struck as some fucking prick stands up, walking over toward her. "Aro, where have you been hiding this?" He reaches Isabella and sniffs her hair, touching her in the process, but she quickly moves away from him. "She smells sweet and innocent; I call first dibs on her."

Aro looks at him, and not nicely. "I really wouldn't do that if I were you, Paul. She's not one of my girls."

Paul laughs. "Good then, I can fuck her good and hard for free. So sweetie, how about I ruin you for all other men?" He says, as he grabs her arm. She pulls away from him yet again. Paul goes to grab her again, but Felix stops him, jerking him away from her.

"Isabella, how about we go to my office? I don't like you being in here," Aro says, stopping as he nears Isabella. With a wave of his hand, he allows her to go in first. I follow them, wanting to know what the fuck is going on. Why is she here? I look at my watch; it's two in the morning.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Aro, but Seth is still sick. I know you wanted me here earlier, but he asked me to lie down with him and I wanted to stay until he fell asleep. Your mom said that she would still watch them, so I could talk to you."

Aro smiles at her. "I hope he feels better soon." I see her smile at Aro as she gives him a little nod. "I am sorry, Isabella, I tried everyone that I feel you'd be safe working for. No one is hiring right now. There may be factory job opening soon, but not until another month or so. I found you a few nights work for this weekend and maybe the next. You'll need to wear this, and all the information is in there. Be sure to ask my mother if you're unsure of anything, or you can give me a call." Isabella nods her head, as Aro hands her a bag.

"You really don't need anyone here? I promise that I'd be good. I swear I won't cause any trouble, please Aro, I'm desperate."

Aro sighs, shaking his head slightly. "Isabella I told you the first time you asked me for a job here, this is no place for you. You never have caused me any trouble, but for the love of God please don't ever say that to anyone again. You should never tell someone that you are desperate, or that you'd do anything for a job. Please promise me, that you will never say that again?" She sniffs, nodding her head. "I'll keep looking and if I hear of anything I'll let you know. Isabella if you need money, I'll be glad to give you some. Don't think that you can't ask me for money if you need it." She nods her head again, as she turns and leaves the office. She walks right into me again; she looks up and says a low '_sorry'_.

"Felix," both Isabella and I turn toward Aro.

"Yes sir?" Felix comes in the room and stands in front of Aro. He is wiping what looks like blood off his hand.

"Will you walk Isabella home for me please?"

Felix nods at this and turns to Isabella. "Come little one, time to get going." He gives her a smile, and I watch as Isabella tries to refuse, but Aro shakes his head at her, giving her a pointed look. With that she walks out and Felix follows, keeping a few feet away from her.

"Poor kid; hey Edward, you have a restaurant. You don't need anyone, do you? She may not be great talker, but she's a hard worker." I look back to see Aro standing next to me.

"No, I don't, and even if I did I wouldn't hire her. I don't trust her. This 'poor little lost girl' act is not working for me at all."

Aro looks at me almost amused at what I have said. "Edward it's one thing to keep the back-stabbing bitches away from yourself, but another thing entirely when you start letting what others did to you affect how you treat someone else. But you are right about one thing, she is putting on an act." I smile at his words; it's nice to know that he agrees with me. "Because of what she's been through in her life, and what she does on a daily basis, I have a feeling it's much worse than what she lets on. I mean how bad must it be, for her to want to sell herself and give up her virginity so that she can feed and clothe her younger brother and sister? I pray to God that she gets another job soon, with someone decent. I'm worried that some prick out there will use and abuse her even more than what she has already been through. She will do whatever she has to, in order to care for those kids. She makes sure they eat and have clean and new clothes. Notice, I said nothing about caring for or buying things for herself. The clothes she wears are the same clothes she wore when we first met five years ago." He walks back into his office indicating that I should follow.

**~HCV~**

Today has been one thing after another. First the classroom wasn't clean, but my boards were. Someone rearranged my fucking books and papers. I fucking hate people touching my things. The restaurant had a leak, so we had to close for the day. The fucking plumber wanted three hundred dollars for a service fee, plus one-eighty an hour labor charge to fix the leak. The university computer system had a glitch. Of course, this would happen on the last day of the semester so I had to handwrite each student's final grade. I am very lucky that I always keep meticulous notes and use an old-school grade book.

To top it all off, I had four sets of angry parents shouting at me for failing their child. Lauren fucking Mallory was one of them, of course. I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from telling them that she failed because she doesn't give a fuck. Not to mention that she is far too busy being the whore of the year to worry about any sort of learning. Then her mother tried to blackmail me, with a trumped-up story about me coming on to her daughter. Another fucking bitch, but she was silenced when I pointed out that my classroom had video cameras and that the flirting had indeed been caught on tape, right after I failed Miss Mallory for her letter of sexual suggestions and innuendos. Needless to say she shut up, and they quickly exited my classroom.

I can't wait until this day is over, I think as I grasp my hair in my hands yet again. There is a knock on my door. I sigh and snap at them to come in. Again without looking up, I know instantly that it is Isabella. I wave her in, and motion for her to go about her business. She doesn't speak to me, and starts to work. I continue finishing up my paperwork. There is another knock at the door, before I am done. I sigh, and again find purchase from my fingers in my hair. "Yes?" I bark out, as I watch Gina come in.

She looks at Isabella and frowns. "Are you almost done in here?" She barks, equally as rudely as I was to Isabella. "After you have finished here you need to come by my office I want you to re-clean it." Gina speaks each word slowly and very loudly to Isabella. Isabella just nods her head and goes back to cleaning my classroom. "Professor Masen you need to come to the office and sign the paperwork I have for you. Oh, and the computers are back up and working now." She gives me what she most likely thinks is her sexy smile. I roll my eyes, getting up to go sign whatever forms I have to for the semester to end. "Remember to come by my office; you understand what I'm saying?" She again is speaking slowly and loudly to Isabella, who nods her head again. "You need to watch this one, I don't think she can talk," she says snidely to me. "Or, maybe she is just too stupid to talk. Is that what your problem is dear?" She asks Isabella in a sweet tone that is full of disdain. Isabella's face goes red as she bites her lip, looking down.

"Gina I would like to get home tonight, and I still have stuff to do here so can we get this over with?" She smiles at me again and we head to her office.

I sign all the papers she has for me; it only takes a few minutes. I don't know why Gina couldn't have just brought them to my room to do this. "Okay, these are all signed," I say, as I look up and see that she has stripped down to her underwear.

"I know you want me, so how about it, Professor?"

I shake my head at her. "Gina, get fucking dressed, what part of 'I don't want you' don't you get?"

She laughs at me. "But I want you, Edward, and Gina gets what she wants. See this?" She asks, throwing some pictures of me at Aro's club on the desk. "I don't think the Board of Regents would like you so much after seeing these. So here's the deal, you can fuck me and do whatever I want, whenever I want you to, or I can leave these where someone can see them."

I smirk at her. "I think I'm going to go with the second choice." She starts to interrupt me, but I hold up my hand. "Because even if someone put a gun to my head, I still wouldn't fuck a stuck-up, two-faced whore like you; plus just so you know, I have my own picture collection. I am sure that your husband would like them. I mean the photo with devices shoved in every one of your orifices might _actually_ appeal to him. I am sure that the board would find those photos interesting as well. Don't fuck with me, because I will gladly leave you high and dry. Don't come to me with this again," I say, moving away from her. I laugh because her husband is a regular at Aro's and he has been dying to find some shit on her so that he can get rid of her. I don't fucking blame him, that bitch is trying to take him to the cleaner's even though she's one that started having affairs. He only started going to Aro's after he kicked her out.

I get back to my classroom, and after looking at the clock I am even more pissed than before. I slam the door open, and I see that Isabella is done cleaning my classroom. I sigh and sit back at my desk to complete my work. I just about have it done when there is another knock on my classroom door. "For the love of hell, come in," I shout. Looking up I see Isabella coming in; she walks over to my desk.

"Sir, I found this," she stops talking as Marcus walks in.

"Edward, are you coming for drinks tonight?"

I shake my head at him, seeing Isabella pick up one of my books from the floor by my briefcase. "No, I still have more work to do, and people keep interrupting me," I say glaring at Isabella.

"Okay, well I will see you next Monday. Would you like me to walk you out Isabella?" Marcus asks her, as she shakes her head.

"No sir, I need a word in private with Professor Masen before I go." Marcus nods his head at her before leaving the room.

"I found. . ." I hold my hand up, stopping her mid-sentence. I know what she found, those fucking pictures that Gina was trying to blackmail me with.

"So tell me Isabella, how much money do you want, or do you want me to fuck you too?" She frowns at me, backing away. "Well tell me, what is it? What the hell do you want from me?" I slam my hand on the desk, making Isabella jump. She lowers her eyes, staring at her feet that are touching my briefcase. "For love of God, you fucking stupid bitch," Isabella freezes and starts to shake.

"Sorr. . .sorry," she closes her eyes. "I'm sorry Sir, you scared me, I didn't mean to. . ."

This whole fucking 'lost girl' act is pissing me off, and I notice that her foot is still touching my briefcase. "Do not touch my things, this past week your work has been below standard. Nothing has been cleaned right and you went through my things. I will be speaking with Marcus regarding your ability to do this piss-easy job. Oh and now you've tried to blackmail me. Get the fuck out of my classroom; I don't want to see you in here again." Isabella slowly places the book back down, and nods her head at me. I watch as she reaches into her pocket taking out a watch, and places it on the desk next to me as she walks out.

I look down at the watch and turn it over seeing the inscription on the inside. I know that it's mine; I didn't even realize that I had lost it. I sigh, rubbing by hand over my face. I know I had it on before I left with Gina. Fuck no! She held her hand out both times saying she had found something. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I feel my heart race, as I look back on the last few weeks, and everything that I have said and done to her. I break into a cold sweat, and start for the door to stop her. Feeling a sharp pain in my chest, I make my way toward my desk to get my medication. I have still needed it and right now I fucking need it. I just can't get this shit under control. As the pain increases, I bump into the table and fall against the wall. I slide down trying to calm myself. My breathing speeds up, and my head begins to spin. I know there is no fucking way I am going to make it to my desk. I see no way out of this, as I sit praying that it will be over soon.

I close my eyes, gripping my hair. I jump and open my eyes, as I feel a hand on mine, pulling it away from my hair. I look up, shocked to see Isabella kneeling down next to me. As I look at her; her eyes move to mine and she gives a weak smile. Isabella's eyes are red and puffy; she has been crying. Fuck, I made her cry! Suddenly, the pain gets worse. I realize that a part of my stress and anxiety is there because I made her cry.

"Professor you need to calm down. Sir, please," she says as she loosens my tie and undoes the top button of my shirt. She moves away from me, and I start to panic even more. Moving back beside me, she has a glass of water and my pills. I frown as she hands them to me. "I saw them when you were in the hospital, and I thought that you might need them." I nod my head, I hand them back to her because I can't open the child-proof fucking bottle. She opens it and takes one out; she stuns me as she places it in my mouth instead of my hand. I need it to work quickly so I let the majority of it melt in my mouth, and then I reach for the glass. She carefully helps me take a drink of water, never letting go of the glass.

It takes about ten minutes before I start to feel any of the effects of the medicine, and as my breathing slows, I look at her. She is still on her knees right beside me, but she is no longer looking at me. She looks around the room, and I watch as she gets up, putting the table back up, and re-shelving the books that she knocked down. Every few minutes she glances my way, almost as if she is checking that I am still okay. It takes thirty minutes before I am almost back to normal. I slowly stand up, which makes Isabella look right at me. She again gives me a half-smile, which I can clearly see she has forced herself to do. After she can tell I am okay, she moves over and picks up her hat and gloves from my desk. I frown, realizing that she must have left them the first time, only to return for them. She turns without speaking and goes toward the door to leave.

"Isabella wait," she turns and looks at me. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry. . ."

She holds her hand up to me, shaking her head. "It's fine Sir, don't worry about it. Embry will be back on Wednesday, so I won't be back in your room again." She laughs a little, but it is clearly forced. "Well, I may not have a job here after tomorrow so either way, I won't bother you again Sir."

Fuck, shit! "Isabella, I am really sorry about that. I shouldn't have taken my bad week out on you."

I step closer to her, but she shrinks into herself. "It's fine Professor, if you're not happy with the way your classroom has been cleaned, you have every right to address that. I mean this is a piss-easy job that even a stupid girl like me should be able to get right, but I haven't done my job very well lately, so it's okay, you should talk to Mr. Brophi." She turns and walks out of the room. I grip my hair before heading out the door just in time to see Isabella running down the hallway. What the fuck have I done? I keep asking myself, but not finding any answers.

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><p><strong>AN: Much like some of you, I personally want to hunt down this Edward, rip off his nuts and feed them to him, but I digress; I am apparently too wrapped up in the characters. Now you all know why I was so angry with him! I feel it was with good reason. Our dear, albeit hated,****professor will soon be making some amends. I can assure you that Edward is truly seeing the error of his ways. Keep in mind that some things are harder to learn than others. Almost like teaching old dogs new tricks. What could this Edward do to make amends in your opinion? **

**As always, reviews get a pre-view of the next chapter. **

**Please go vote in the Lemonade Stand. **

**We are nominated at Hidden Star Awards as well for Best Lemon. **

**Thanks for reading. **

**Kasi (& Nikky)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to S. Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. Huge thanks to all the ladies that help us with this story: Jess2002, MustangMel1968, ****Sarah, Amanda, and Jessica J.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Making Amends<strong>

Two days have passed since Isabella was the victim of my cruelty and hatred. I have wanted to talk to her, but she's no longer working at the hotel, and it has been difficult to locate her. I even waited for her outside of Padelford Hall at UW, but I haven't seen her there either. I feel really fucking horrible about the way I treated her the last time I saw her. I knew then, with almost one hundred percent certainty, that she had not been the one who had gone through my things. Now I know for sure and I can't even find her to apologize. When she said that she had found something, I was sure she was talking about the photographs that Gina had showed me. I didn't even stop to think that she already knew that I go to Aro's; hell, she even saw me there. I sigh and rub my head.

I have spent all afternoon moping in my office, so I decide to head out to the front to engage in more productive activities. As I near the front of the restaurant, I see Isabella talking with Taylor. He is shaking his head at her, and she gives him a sad smile before she leaves.

I walk up to Taylor. "What was that about?" I ask as I point to Isabella, who is now across the street going into the tattoo shop.

"Oh, she was looking for a job. She had a resume, but said that she couldn't wait tables. She offered to bus tables, or to clean the restaurant. I told her we were not currently hiring; I know you don't like to hire women, if you can avoid it." I watch her walk out of the tattoo shop, and go into the next business.

"I'll be back in a minute or two." Taylor looks at me and frowns as I head for the door.

"What, you going to hire her?" He asks, but I don't answer him.

"Isabella," I shout out as she turns and looks at me, frowning. "You're looking for a job?" She frowns again, as her eyes start to fill up with unshed tears. "I own the restaurant across the street," I say pointing to it.

She rubs her head and closes her eyes. "I didn't know it was your place, I'm sorry. I won't go back in there again. I just need to find a job; I've only got one week left at the college."

As confusion floods over me, I look at her. "What do you mean? You've worked at UW for over five years, why have you only got a week left?"

She looks at me and without words asks me if I've lost my mind. "I talked to Mr. Brophi about how you were unhappy with my work, and your plans to bring a complaint against me. Then the lady who works in his office said I messed with her stuff and took a watch. I did do that, and I told him I did. I said it was your watch and I returned it to you, but because she complained he was going to have to investigate it anyway. He said that if it was just her complaining he could disregard it, but if you ended up filing a complaint as well, that he would be left with no choice but to dismiss me. He said that you had problems with me in your classroom, so he knew there was an issue. He has allowed me to work this week, but only because you weren't going to be there."

Fucking hell, why would she turn herself in? "Isabella. . ."

She holds up hand. "Don't worry about it, it's fine. I'm sorry that I bothered you again." She walks backwards as she talks, and as she finishes, she turns to bolt down the road before I can say another word.

I storm back into the restaurant and Taylor looks at me strangely. "Don't say a word. I need to leave!" He holds his hands up giving me a look of innocence. I drive toward UW, faster than I have ever driven before. I park and run into Marcus' office, only to find him fucking his wife on his desk.

"Hey Edward," Didyme says with a shameless smile on her face. I give her a wave, as I close my eyes.

"Well if you two are done with your pleasantries; Edward, you want to step out for a moment?" I keep my eyes closed and nod my head. As I close the door I hear Didyme laughing. I stand as far away from the office as possible, but I can still hear them. Twenty minutes or more pass before Didyme comes out; she is all smiles and even gives me a wink. "Bye Edward," she chuckles; I smile and give her a wave.

"Edward, come on in. Sorry about that, but well, you know how it is." He raises his left eyebrow at me, which I return because he knows that I don't date. "Well maybe you don't. Let me guess, you want to discuss Isabella?"

I nod my head at him. "You can't lay her off; Monday was completely my fault. I was in a pissed-off mood and took it out on her. She took the blame for everything; none of which was her fault." I sigh and watch as he rubs his hand across his face.

"I have a big problem. Gina said that there was a watch on her desk Monday, but it was gone after Isabella cleaned."

I nod my head at him. "Yes, it was mine; she recognized it and brought it back to me." I hold up my arm showing him that I indeed have possession of the watch.

"Edward, that's not all. An envelope Gina had personal photos in is missing as well. She said it was there before Isabella cleaned, but not after."

I frown, looking at him. "Why would she take photos of Gina?" He shakes his head and shrugs. "Gina said that she had some pictures of her husband with another woman; it was evidence for her divorce trial. She said that she showed them to you when you were signing the forms she printed. She claims Isabella came in, and she left to go to the bathroom. When she came back in; Isabella, the watch, and the photos were all gone."

I give him one of those 'what the fuck?' looks. The only photos she showed me were the ones of me at the club. Oh shit! Isabella must have done something with them. I shake my head. "No I'm sorry, I don't know what she's talking about. I think she must be confused." He looks at me and presses a button on his phone.

"Yes sir," Gina says using what I am sure she thinks is a sexy voice. I roll my eyes, and so does Marcus.

"Gina, can you come in here for a moment?" She doesn't reply, walking into the office instead. As she enters we both see her undo the top two buttons of her blouse. "Gina I have told you many times about this behavior; save yourself some embarrassment and button your blouse, please."

She looks at Marcus and starts to argue, but then sees me. "Oh, I'm sorry Sir, what did you want?"

Marcus shakes his head at her, and I can see his eyes roll even though he closes them momentarily. "Edward says that you didn't show him any photos, are you sure about your claim?"

She growls at me, and gives me a pointed look. "Of course he would say that, he and my ex are best buds. I'm sure that fucker I'm married to set him up to come in and lie to you," she huffs. She gives me a smug look as she sits back and crosses her legs.

"Gina, I will not tolerate your swearing in here, you better watch what you say."

Gina looks at him, and acts all affronted by Marcus' reprimand of her language. "Well that stupid bitch still took what was mine, you better fire her or I'm going to the union. After all, I know she gets paid under the table," she says smirking.

Gina is such a fucking bitch. I smile knowing _exactly_ how to get her to back off.

"Marcus, I would like to make a formal complaint of sexual harassment against Gina. Monday when I came in the office to sign the paper work, she stripped to her underwear and made sexual advances and innuendos. This all took place in the outer office. I know that there are security cameras and I'm sure that it was all caught on tape so you can see for yourself."

Gina shakes her head at this. "I did no such thing, you lying piece of shit. What, are you screwing that trailer trash? Oh my God, I bet you are! Now you're lying to get a good girl like me fired for a skanky piece of trash like that low-life maid. You and my ex are both fucking her, aren't you? Maybe I should share with Marcus and the board where you met her? Marcus, would you like to know what Edward does off-campus?" Gina has a huge, smug smile on her face thinking she has won.

Marcus shakes his head. "No, what Edward does on his own time is _his_ business; and by the way, I'm getting tired of asking you to watch your language. Now I'd like to see what's on that camera footage. If I see that what Edward says has any merit to it, then you _will_ be fired on the spot."

Marcus hits a different button on the phone, and I hear a ring through the speaker. "Security, this is Stephan."

Gina frowns at Marcus, and begins to fidget in her seat. "Stephan, this is Marcus, can you bring me the outer office surveillance tape from last Monday? I need it immediately."

Marcus looks at Gina as she clearly pales. "Yes sir, we have it all ready for you. I'll have it there in five minutes."

"Thank you." Marcus disconnects the call.

Gina looks between us. "What, the office has a camera? When did that happen, and why didn't you tell me?"

Marcus looks at her and smiles. "Well it happened about five months ago after you, yet again, made a pass at me. I thought that it would be a good idea for me to have the cameras installed for just such an occasion as this. I was already going to have a look at the footage to see happened to the watch and photos. It now looks as if I may need to look for other indiscretions as well."

Gina stands up on shaky legs. "Look, I was wrong okay, she didn't take the watch; I see that Edward has it on. She didn't take the pictures either, so there is no need to look at the video," she says, knowing that if she gets fired for sexual harassment, she will lose her court battle.

"Gina, I am only going to say this once so listen closely. Isabella is off-limits to you. Don't talk to her, not one word, and stay away from her. Some advice for you, if you want to keep your job, you need to stop fucking and harassing the male staff. Edward has made it clear that he does not want to have sex with you. If I ever hear about you attempting to blackmail another person, you will be out of here. Oh, and by the way, I have already spoken to your father regarding the recent events in this office and he wants you to call him." Gina visibly gulps, as she nods her head. Everyone knows her father is on the board, and it's the only reason she still has a job here at all. However, her father takes none of her shit, and would fire her himself over this whole scheme. "Leave now," Marcus says, pointing to the office door.

"How did you know?" I ask, as he gives me a smile.

"Isabella is bad at lying. I knew that she did something to the photos, but Gina was lying about what was on them. I watched the footage; I saw that Gina had them out on her desk when she was 'called away'." He rolls his eyes as he says called away, we both know she fucks nearly all the male staff here on a daily basis. "Isabella saw them when she came in, and shredded them." He chuckles, and shakes his head again. "She didn't even look at the pictures. I think she overheard what Gina said to you. When Gina set them on the desk and then left, Isabella got rid of them. So she re-cleaned the already clean room, and then shredded the photos. I also saw her pick up your watch before Gina came back. I thought maybe that is why she wanted to talk to you in private on Monday. I just couldn't understand that if she got rid of the photos why you would complain about her, or at least make her think that you were."

That shitty feeling I had just doubled. I close my eyes rubbing my face. "Please don't fire her. I thought she saw them, and was going to try to blackmail me. I never gave her a chance to talk to me. I even blamed her for my classroom not being clean. I knew she wasn't the one who had been cleaning it."

Marcus shakes his head at me sadly. "There is nothing I can do, Edward."

"Then I am sorry to say I need to give my notice of resignation."

He drops his pen at this and looks at me. "Edward, come on. . ." I grab some paper from his desk, and start writing it out. "Fine, I will tell her she still has her job when she comes in tonight." I look at him and he gives me a look to say that he will do it.

"Why does she get paid under the table?" I ask as he frowns at me again.

"Aro called me about five years ago and begged me to take her on. I wasn't too keen about hiring her when he said she had no paper work, but I owed him, so I hired her. He helped bring me my Didyme." I notice the large smile he gets when he thinks of her. "Anyway, I didn't ask why she didn't have any paper work. I just gave her a job, which she does really well. I've never had any complaints about her or her work. I've never had to worry about her; she never takes any holidays or time off. The only thing she asked was to have her weekends free. She only works one weekend every eight weeks. Then recently I found out that she swapped cleaning your classroom and took another five in its place." I look at him and shake my head, disgusted over my own actions. "Embry said he'd do your classroom, if she would do five of his."

I let out a long breath, and try not to think about all the extra work she did because of me. "It was all me, Marcus, she didn't do anything."

He nods his head. "Well I hope you'll work it out with her. I will let her know everything has been sorted and she still has a job. I'm sure she will be glad to know that, since this is the only job she has now."

I let out another sigh, glad that she gets to keep her job. There is a knock on the door, and Stephan comes in and hands a disc to him with a huge smile.

"Don't forget you owe me ten bucks on this game, Marcus," Stephan chuckles and walks out.

I frown at Marcus. "Wait a minute, what footage did you ask for?" I point to the disc that Stephan set on the desk, and Marcus smiles.

"Oh, you mean this?" he asks holding up the disc that was just delivered. "This is just a copy of the last Mariners double header that Stephan recorded for me. I knew he wouldn't mind doing that for me." I shake my head at him. "Are you coming Thursday night? I _really_ would like for you to be there. You would only need to stay for a few hours. Seriously Edward, you missed the last one, so if you're not there, you better be dead or at least seriously ill." I nod my head at him and walk out.

I still feel like a huge pile of crap, and I have no idea what the fuck I can do to get over it. I head over to Jasper's office hoping to see him.

"Jasper says that you can go in now." I look at the woman speaking, and I give her a curt nod as I head into his office. "Edward," I look at him and he stops talking, and tilts his head to the side. "Okay, what's going on, what happened?" He asks as he waves at me to sit. I sit across from him and rub my face. I sigh, unsure of where to start, so I jump up and start to pace the floor.

"I screwed up, and I mean I _really_ screwed up this time. Jazz, I fucking hurt her, and I don't know how to fix it. How I can get her to forgive me? Fuck, I'll be lucky if she even speaks to me again. Well, I know she will because she, fuck, I don't want to say she's weak, but if I talk to her she will reply. How do I make it right, Jazz, without putting myself out there? I don't want to get hurt again; I just couldn't handle it. I don't even think she could do that to anyone, not really. She's not made that way, but I've really gone and hurt her bad. I never gave her a chance, I was still... no, I _am_ too fucking scared. In this case I thought I had made a new friend, but the dream... and then I thought she had stabbed me in the back just like all the others. I see her face in my dreams, the last two nights have been worse than all the rest. I can see how much I've hurt her, and the bad thing is she did nothing to warrant my anger. All she did was fucking help me, time after time. So many times, and she has been so hurt before and I know it's been bad. I can see it so clearly in her eyes, the pain and the fear. What if I've made it worse, what if she can never let anyone in because of what I did?" I am still pacing and pulling my hair, too upset to think straight. "Fuck Jazz, I was a real fucking prick, and a complete asshole. Tell me what can I do? Please, I need to fix this, tell me how to fix it." I beg him, as I feel my breathing speed up. Jasper, who is still sitting in his chair, looks straight at me, and I feel the cold sweats start. "Please Jazz; you need to tell me how to fix this."

He pulls me back to my seat, and makes me sit down. "Edward, take a deep breath, you need calm down. After we get you calm, then I can try and help you."

I look at him, and I have never felt so helpless before. "Please Jazz; you have to tell me how to fix this."

He tries to smile at me. "Edward, I need you to relax, okay? Let's get you calm first, and then we can talk about what's been happening." I nod my head as I try to slow my breathing. "Better?" I look up at Jasper and nod my head as he hands me a cup of coffee. "Okay, tell me what happened." Jasper pulls his seat near mine, and looks right at me. Jasper is acting more like my friend than a shrink, which helps me relax.

"I fucked-up big time. I really hurt her. I need you to help me fix it."

He nods at me, and gives me a concerned half-smile. "I got that from your rant. Can you tell me who we're talking about, and does she need a doctor?"

I frown at him, hoping he doesn't think _that_ poorly of me. "I don't mean I physically hurt her, I'm talking mentally and emotionally," I snap at him. This fucker knows what I deal with from his wife and Rose, not to mention Esme, and yet I don't hurt them physically. I would _never_ hurt women like that. '_Yeah asshole, you just hurt her mentally and emotionally, but let's not forget about knocking her down a flight of stairs!'_ my subconscious screams at me.

I sigh, gripping the coffee cup and shaking my head, trying to stop my thoughts from taking over. "Who Edward, who are we talking about?" Jasper asks me, looking confused.

"Bella, well I can't call her that anymore. Isabella, fuck what if I can't call her that anymore either?" I pull at my hair again, what else can I call her? Miss Swan sounds so formal, I really don't like it.

"EDWARD!" Jasper shouts, and I look at him. "Focus, now start from the beginning, and tell me everything." I sigh and begin the story. I tell him everything. The first time I talked to her when Lauren Mallory was hitting on me; fuck, I was a prick to her that day too. I tell him about the stalking, but I stop looking at him because he's giving me a confused look, almost like he's ashamed of me. I go into details about my dream, and then let him know about everything I've done in the last few weeks. I mention seeing her at Aro's club, and tell him everything I overheard there. Jasper is the only person that knows about what I do there, and he has never judged me for it. I struggle to tell him what I said to her and about how she helped me even after I treated her so poorly. When I am done spewing out the whole sordid story, I wait for Jasper to say something, anything. I see him frown slightly before he starts to speak, but then stops himself. After a few minutes, I can't take anymore. "Fuck! Jasper, I know I've fucked-up big time, but I need you to help me."

He shakes his head. "Edward, from what you've told me, she has some serious problems of her own. The repulsion to physical touch is a major issue in itself and could have been caused by a number of things. There are so many things that could have brought that on for her. She seems to have many other issues as well, but there is no way I can help you make this up to her without being able to talk to her myself. Edward, depending on how messed up she is, I'm not sure if you can make this up to her. All I know for sure is that you both have issues."

I start pulling my hair again. "This is not what I wanted to hear."

He moves forward, clasping his hands together and leaning his elbows on his knees. "Edward, you really need to think about what you want from her, and the role you want her to play in your life. Then you can curb the way that you speak and act around her, to make her more comfortable. I would suggest smiling when you see her, but not talking to her a lot; let her slowly warm up to you. Don't rush things, but make sure that you apologize, that is the one thing you need to do first and foremost. Other than that, you need to leave her alone." I glare at him, shooting daggers with my eyes. He holds up his hand to stop me from saying anything. "But if you can't, and what you want is to be her friend, I think you can probably make that happen. However, if you want more than her friendship, I think you're in for a long and winding road, and it could take a long time for her to let you in either way. It sounds like she was on the road to letting you in, but you took it away quickly and without warning. If you don't want to be her friend, then don't confuse her. You need to set clear boundary lines and adhere to them. You can't be friends one minute, and then all business the next. If you do that it will only hurt and confuse her more." I Look at him, and wave my hand for him to keep talking. "I can't say much more than that without speaking to her. Edward, I would need to know more about her and all we know for certain is that she has been hurt. More than likely she has no real friends, and maybe never has had any. She takes care of her younger siblings and seems to meet their needs, but neglects her own. She sounds as if she is overly shy; maybe has low self-esteem. I'd venture to say some self-blame issues as well, but I have to agree with what Aro told you. In my opinion, there is a high chance that she will end up being abused by someone."

I growl at him, not liking at all what he just said. "Edward she walks the streets, asking for a job. She doesn't talk much, and at some point some fucker will see her and realize that. From what you told me about her reactions to what Gina said, she just takes abuse without retaliation. I believe that someone could hurt her very badly, and she would never say anything or tell a soul. When you were angry with her and threatened her, she went and told on herself. The girl is clearly full of self-blame and maybe even self-hate."

I rub my head, and take a deep breath. "Fine, then I'll give her a job, she can work for me."

Jasper looks at me as if I have grown another head. "What on earth are you talking about, Edward?"

I look at him like he is slow and can't understand me. "I!" I say pointing to myself to make a point. "Will! Give! Her! A! Job!"

Jasper rolls his eyes at me for my outburst. "Really, and what job would that be?"

I frown and rub my head while I think. What can I get her to do? She doesn't like talking to people, so waitressing is out. Then it comes to me, and I smile. "She can be my housekeeper. You know I hate that Esme cleans my house. Isabella never fucks with my stuff, she's good at her job, and she doesn't hit on me."

He looks at me with sarcasm and disbelief. "You're really going to let her in your house?"

My smile gets bigger, and I nod my head. "Yeah and I think it's a good start to making things up to her. Oh, and I can get her a new tape player since I broke hers".

Jasper laughs shaking his head at me. "Edward you're never going to find one of those, they're obsolete. God only knows where she got hers from. Sadly, Alice threw mine out when we went to college, or you could've had it."

I frown, thinking of what he has said, but then I remember I have one in my old room at home. "I still have mine; it's at the Cullen's." I hit his arm, and smile bigger. "Thanks Jazz, I'll let you know how it all goes." I jump up to leave, but I stop when I get to the door. "Jazz if I can gain her trust and she comes to work for me, will you see her? I mean help her? I will pay you; because I don't think she has the money for it."

I look at him and see him shaking his head with a smile. "Edward, let's get you in her good graces first, then we'll see how she acts around me. In order to help her, I will need to gain her trust too." I nod my head at him, smile, and wave as I leave.

By the time I have collected the tape recorder and escaped Esme, it is too late to meet with Isabella today. I have to attend a college staff gathering tomorrow night, and I have to work a shift at the restaurant the next day which means that I will have to wait until Monday to speak with her. I have already called Marcus to confirm that he told her she still has a job at UW. He said that he did and she seemed happy, but he had to assure her that I was also okay with it as well.

**~HCV~**

I put on my new suit, and try to control my wild hair. I leave my townhouse to head to campus. I hate these stupid employee gatherings; they are such a waste of my time. Walking in the door, I am reminded immediately of why I hate these social events so much. I see all the desperate wives flirting like they're common whores and I pass more than one slutty faculty member on my way to the bar. I order my drink from the bartender and keep my back to the room, hoping that they'll all just leave me alone.

"Edward, how are you," I look to my side and see Jessica Newton sitting down next to me. I give her a curt nod. Jessica is one of the teaching staff, and also a whore on the prowl. She has been married to Mike Newton for ten years, claiming to him that he's the love of her life, but it hasn't stopped her from trying to get me into bed. "Oh Edward, I'm here on my own tonight. These things are so boring, I plan on getting smashed. I even booked a room at Hotel Deca, you know it's only two blocks from here. I'm in two-oh-eight," she smiles at me invitingly.

"How is your husband, Mrs. Newton?" I ask in a tone that clearly shows I am rejecting her advances.

Ever the dense one, she shakes her head at me. "Edward, I told you to call me Jessica. As for Michael, he is well but away on business." She moves her hand towards mine as I turn to face her fully. "So what do you say, Edward? I'm not asking you for a long-term affair, just one night of hard-core, hot and heavy fucking. . ."

As I look behind her, I notice Isabella serving drinks at a table to the side of us. I know Jessica is still talking, but I can no longer hear her. "I need to go." I stand, up walking away from her without any more words.

I watch Isabella serve the drinks to the table. I look at what she's wearing, and she looks just like all the other servers. She has on a white shirt, and a black skirt. This is the first time I have ever seen her in a skirt, I mean I have seen her in the uniform dress she was required to wear at the hotel, but this is much sexier. The dark, crisp, black skirt is short, and half way up her thigh. I can tell she is not comfortable wearing it; she has pulled the skirt down at least six times since I noticed her. Her hair is up in a bun, with a few small wisps of hair falling down her back.

As I am watching her, I see her go back to the bar to collect more drinks. I watch as she takes the full tray of drinks to a large group of male professors from one of our sister colleges. I watch them as they point at her, and make comments they clearly find funny. I watch them eye-fuck her as she places their drinks on the table. I get up and start heading her way, when one guy throws his pen to the floor and asks her to pick it up. I watch as he bats his eyes innocently at her. She gives him a polite smile and bends at the knees to pick it up. Clearly he was hoping that she would bend at the waist. She hands him the pen and he takes her hand at the same time. I am almost at the table as he pulls her close and puts his other hand on her thigh. As soon as I am in range of being heard without making a scene, I open my mouth. "Isabella, I need a word with you, please come with me." They all turn toward my voice. Isabella's eyes flash with relief and then dread when she sees me. I take ahold of her arm, and give the man a glare that clearly says 'don't fucking touch her'. As he drops her hand, I ask her to follow me and pull her in my direction. I don't let go, and continue to pull her hand as I walk down the hallway. After trying several doors, I finally find a door that is unlocked and open it. Still pulling her hand, I bring us both into the room and close the door behind us.

"I… what… Mr. Brophi said… " she stutters out, looking from me to the door. It is clear she is gauging her escape route. I drop her hand quickly; it wasn't my goal to scare her. I step away from her and let my arms drop to my sides. Fucking hell, I just pulled her out of a crowd and into a private room. _Well done Einstein, give yourself a pat on the back for scaring the ever-loving shit out of her, and hurting her again_. I struggle to compose myself and calm down so that I don't scare her even more. As I run my fingers through my hair, I pull at the ends.

I take another deep breath and let it out. "Isabella, I just wanted to talk to you. I didn't mean to scare you, I just… I thought you might be uncomfortable with those guys." She nods at me, confirming that she was indeed ready to get away from those guys. "Please sit down here for a minute; I just want to talk to you for a bit." She sits down, and I sit across from her on the edge of the other table.

"Well, first off I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm an asshole and I treated you really badly, please forgive me. I shouldn't have done the things I did. I can't really explain why I did or said those things. I can only tell you that I find it hard to let people in. I don't make friends easily, and the few friends I have tend to tip-toe around me because of my issues. Most people think of me as an asshole, and I like it that way because it keeps them away."

I get up and pace a little in front of her between the tables. I don't want to scare her any more than I already have, that is. After a few minutes of pacing and pulling on my now thoroughly messed-up hair, I began again.

"You know I was a little scared of you, to be honest. I was frightened because I was able to let you in so easily, and talk to you without any effort at all. I wanted to know why you did the things you did, and I wanted to learn more about you. When I realized what I was doing, what I was letting happen, I reacted badly. I did a jackass move to keep you away. That was unfair to you, but I have been hurt by people in the past. I thought that I was keeping myself from being hurt. I didn't stop to think that what I did was hurting you also, and for that, I'm really fucking sorry." I sigh, trying not to think about how much I just swore. It bothers me how much I have been swearing lately. It's like I have no verbal filter these last few weeks. "I am so fucking sorry about the swearing, that fucking panic attack seems to have affected my verbal filter."

She gives me a confused look before shaking it off. "It's fine Professor, thank you for apologizing, but there really is no need. Also thanks for getting my job back at the college." She gives me a weak smile, and I am starting to think that this girl is much too polite.

"Isabella, you know that you can shout at me and call me an asshole because that is what I am."

She shakes her head. "No sir, swearing is bad. I'm not allowed to swear, and I'm at work."

I give her a genuine smile. "Yeah you're right, swearing is appalling and I normally never swear; unless it's in my own thoughts. Ever since I had that panic attack, I seem unable to stop saying whatever comes to mind." I can tell she has a question, because she has a confused look on her face. "I can see you have a question, so what is it?"

"I'm sorry, but what do mean by your verbal filter? Is that like the filters for a coffee maker?"

I sigh, letting out a breath. "In a way, yes, but the verbal filter I'm talking about is the one in your head. It's what keeps your private thoughts from coming out of your mouth. For instance, if you see some guy and you think he's cute, you might say he is cute inside your head. A verbal filter would stop you from saying that out loud. My verbal filter normally stops me from saying curse words, but lately they seem to fly out of my mouth freely."

She nods her head in understanding. "I should get back to work." She stands; shit not yet!

"Please Isabella; may I have a few more minutes with you?" I ask, hoping that she can hear the sincerity in my voice. She nods her head, sitting back down. "I would like to offer you a job."

She looks taken aback by what I've said. I can see that she is starting to shake. "A job… what… but, I never," she rubs her legs and bites her bottom lip. I know this move, she does this when she is nervous or stressed. "Look, I should tell you something you might not know. I know that you saw me at Aro's, but I'm not like the girls that work there. Really I'm not, I… I've never been alone with a guy, for more than a few minutes. I have never seen a guy without clothes on," she says taking a breath. I can see she is even more nervous now. I frown at her trying to figure out what she's saying. "I've heard of a blow job before, but I'm really not sure what it is. I asked Aro if it was something to do with putting ribbons and bows on gifts, but he told me I was too young to know. I've heard of a hand job too, but I don't know what that is either. Are those the jobs you have for me?" She asks, her face turning red from embarrassment. I can't stop the laugh that comes out. "Yeah Aro laughed too, he still wouldn't tell me though, he said I didn't need to know what it meant. I asked Zafrina, she said that both were things that happen in the bedroom. She says that guys like them a lot, and it gets them off. I'm not really sure what it gets them off of, but I was afraid to ask any more questions. I'm sorry Sir; I'm not sure what those things are… " She closes her eyes and shakes her head a bit more, before looking at me again. I'm speechless, unsure of what I should say at this point. I see her eyes fall to the floor. "Either way I think you should know this, if you give me a job to have sex with you, you should know that I've never done it before. I really am not sure about some of this stuff, like blow jobs and hand jobs, or what to do to make a man feel good."

My laughing stops as I realize that she thinks that I want pay her to have sex with me. What in God's name gave her that idea, do I look like a sick fuck that would pay a young girl for sex? _You're having a laugh, right? Because you don't pay for sex, but wait, you __**do**__ pay for sex. You've been an ass to her, and you shout at her over things that are out of her control. You treat her poorly for the condition of your classroom, before telling her to get out. You saw her at Aro's, and it was clear that you had been there for a visit with some of his girls, and you still think she hasn't figured you out? You can stop kidding yourself any time now! _The fucking voice in my head is telling me. What the fuck did that panic attack do to me? I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. Taking a deep breath, I hold my hand up. "Shit Isabella, no that's not what I'm asking of you, I mean I _am_ offering you a job, but as a housekeeper."

She looks at me seriously. "Really, you don't want to pay me for sex?" She asks, looking relieved.

"Shit no, Isabella, I need a maid, a cleaner. I'm not in my apartment much, and as you know I work at UW and at my restaurant. I need someone to keep things clean for me, plus clean a few hours at the restaurant. My staff keeps bitching about me needing to hire someone to do it, and none of them ever manages to clean to my standards. So I would say that ninety percent of the time, I'm stuck doing it myself." She gives me a small smile and starts to talk, but I hold my hand up before she gives me answer. I want her to know what she is in for. "As I said, I'm a jerk, if you're smart you'll tell me to shove this job up my ass and keep far away from me. I can't promise not to act like an ass again, but I'll try. I really want you to work for me, please. Shit! You really should stay away from me; get another job from someone who is not a fucking asshole. Someone that wouldn't take their shit out on you, please tell me you'll think it over, before you decide to accept and I'll try to be nice. Shit, I have no idea what I'm trying to say," as I give her a small laugh.

I look at her; she is covering her mouth and looks as if she's trying not to laugh. I frown at her and raise my eyebrows. She shakes her head at me, still trying to contain her laughter. "I'm sorry it's just half of what you said was for me to stay away from you, the other half you were trying to get me to take your job offer. It's just so confusing, with you mixing it all together like that."

I shake my head at her and smile. "Yeah, you're right. I just want to make it clear that I'm an asshole, but you probably already know that. I also want you to make a smart choice."

She holds up her hand. "Yeah I got all that, you just want me to clean?" She looks at me questioningly, and I nod my head. "No sex involved and you mean clean like what I do at the college. Clean is not a code word for something else?"

I shake my head no, and sigh again. "Nope, just clean, no code words or sex involved."

She nods her head. "Then I would like to accept the job."

I look at her, astonished. She has asked nothing other than to be clear that I don't want sex from her. "You're really going to accept my job offer? You haven't asked me about health benefits, pay, or hours."

She shakes her head. "No, I didn't ask. I know you heard what I said to Aro. I promised him I wouldn't say to anyone else what I said to him. But right now, I really need a job. Anything you pay me will be better than the amount I got this past week."

I don't like that I see her biting her lip, so I give her a smile. I look at her as she slowly stops shaking her head, for which I am glad. Since tomorrow is Friday, she should be free. "Are you free tomorrow?"

She nods her head. "Yes after nine, and before three." I look on the table for paper and a pen.

I write down my home address and hand it to her. "Can you be there at ten tomorrow? I'll take you around my house, and tell about your pay and benefits."

She looks at the paper and bites her lip. "Can you tell how to get there, I'm not sure." I look at her, trying to think of the best way to tell her how to get there.

"Do you remember where my restaurant is?" She nods her head. "Okay then, I will get there at nine thirty, meet me there instead. I will show you around the restaurant first, than we will walk to my house from there. It's about a twenty minute walk, is that okay?"

She nods her head, and looks to the door. "I need to get back to work now."

I stand up walking toward the door with her. "Isabella how come you're working here tonight?" I ask, as I open the door.

"Aro got me the job; he knows that money for this week was going to be down. School starts soon, and I need to buy Leah and Seth clothes and supplies. He got me this job for tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday too." I nod my head at her, knowing Aro is a good guy.

Since she brought up Aro's name again, I have to ask her. "Isabella, what happened to Gina's photos?"

I see that she blushes, and moves her eyes to the floor. "I heard her talking to you before you left the office. I heard enough of what was said to know that you didn't want her to have those pictures. I saw you leave the office and you were in such a bad mood. I knew you were mad at me, so I hid when you came out. Then Mr. Parson came and got Gina, and she saw me standing outside the door. After she said some stuff, they both left. I saw the pictures on the table so I put them through that machine that cuts them up. I was trying to tell you, but Mr. Brophi came in. Then you shouted at me, and told me to leave." She looks down at the floor as she speaks.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am, thank you for doing that. I really don't deserve you looking out for me like that," I say as I gently touch her arm. She pulls back from me, but she doesn't look scared.

She looks up at me giving me another confused look, but puts on a quick smile. "I will see you tomorrow, Sir," she says before walking away from me.

In a way I am glad that she took my job offer, in another I am pissed that she forgave me so easily. I really did deserve to be slapped, at the very least. I know that I still have a long way to go before she'll let me call her Bella again, if she ever does. As I watch her work the rest of the night, I know that my first impression of her being a good-hearted person was correct.

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><p><strong>AN: I know he isn't there yet with the amends he is trying to make, but I think he is off to a good start. Next up is his meeting with Isabella. How long do you think it will be before he learns a little more about her? Do you think that Jerkward will figure out that she cannot read or write? **

**Many of you have asked so to be clear, Bella is over 18 soon to be 19; she was just 13 when she was left to care for (then) 2 year old Seth and Leah. The twins are now almost 7, and going into second grade. Edward is 28, and has been a professor at UW for just over four years. **

**We reply to all reviews, unless you have your private messaging turned off. All reviews will get a teaser for the next chapter with their review reply. **

**Lastly, thanks to all of you who voted for us in the Hidden Star Awards and The Lemonade Stand.**

**WeeKittyAndTAT aka: Nikky & Kasi~**


	7. Chapter 7 New Job

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to S. Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. Huge thanks to Jess2002 , MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, and Sarah**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: New Job<strong>

I arrive at Midnight Sun a little early. I need to get the paperwork ready for Isabella to sign. I know I will be paying her 'under the table', but I want to try to get as much in order as I can.

I've written everything out, when I notice that it's ten minutes after ten. I know that being on time is something she's normally good at. I rub my face. Fuck, maybe she changed her mind about the job, or maybe she lied to me just like every other fucking woman I've ever known.

_Or maybe you scared her, and she said yes to the job thinking that you wouldn't let her leave the room unless she agreed._

_**Knock. Knock.**_

Thank God, she's finally here. "Come in Isabella," I say to the closed door. The door opens, but it's Taylor standing there.

I frown at him. "Hello, I see you beat me here," he says smiling at me. I wave at him to come in, but I'm still frowning. "I take it I'm not who you're waiting for?"

I shake my head. "I was expecting someone, but I don't think she's coming." I sigh and throw my pen on the desk.

"Small pale girl, brown hair, looks a little lost?" I look at him, and nod my head. "I think she's standing outside," he says motioning his thumb toward the door. I move toward the door, and Taylor stops me. "Here, take this; it's really coming down out there." He offers me his umbrella and chuckles as I take it and head out of the office.

I head to the front, and see Isabella standing in front of the window in the rain. I open the door. "Isabella," I call to her standing in the doorway, she turns and looks at me. I wave at her to come in. "How long have you been standing outside? Why didn't you come in the restaurant when you arrived?"

She walks up to me, clearly worrying that I am mad by the look on her face. "I thought that you said to meet you outside. Didn't you? Never mind, I'm so sorry… "

Looking at her, I see that she's drenched. The jacket she's wearing is paper thin, and clearly very old and well used. I can see that she's been outside for a while. I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm sorry, I meant for you to come in if I wasn't out here." She walks through the door, and I see that she needs to get out of her wet clothes immediately.

I direct her to my office. "Okay Isabella, this is my office, I keep it locked when I'm not there. Taylor has a key to the door, and I have made one for you. Always remember to lock the door when you are finished in here. I look up at her and she nods her head, she is shivering so hard her teeth clatter together. I go to the cabinet behind my desk, and open the door. "You are a size zero, correct?" I ask, estimating her clothes size. I look at her over my shoulder; I'm pretty good at guessing. She looks confused, so I clarify what I mean. "Your clothing, what size are your clothes? Do you wear a size zero?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I'm not sure, but my overalls for the college have an _S_ on them, and they are a little big on me. I have to roll up the legs and arms a little. I wear my clothes under it, so I'm not sure. I don't know if that helps." I thought all women knew their clothing size! The _S_ is for small, so my guess is that she's a zero, or maybe a double zero. I know she is petite and very thin. I nod my head anyway and continue looking for a uniform for her. I look her up and down noticing that her shoes look old and worn out.

"This is your uniform. There are two pair of slacks, two skirts, two white shirts, two black ones, and an apron to wear when you clean the bathrooms. What size are your shoes?"

She takes the stack of clothing and looks at me. "I wear a five; why are you asking?"

I clear my throat while I think of the right words to say. "You need shoes as a part of your uniform. I give all of my employee's uniforms. I need to know your shoe size so I can get you a pair that will fit." She nods her head, and I notice that her face is a little red. "Please change into one of the uniforms now, and I'll get you a bag for your wet clothes." I place the coordinating jacket that I have just now located, on the desk and walk out.

Taylor is at the bar looking at me. "Do we have any plastic bags that she can put her wet clothes in?"

He nods his head, and hands me a plastic bag from under the bar. "Isn't she the girl that came in here a few days ago?"

I nod my head at him. "Yes she is," I say looking right at him. I can tell he thinks I have lost my mind, in which he may just be right. I hold up a hand, hoping that he won't start asking more questions.

I walk back to my office, deciding to knock first, just in case. "Isabella, it's Edward." Shit, I think may have said my first name to her once, maybe. "I mean Professor Masen. May I come in?" I wait for a reply.

"Yes sir, this is your office," I hear and chuckle a little as I walk in. She is standing in the same spot I left her in, but has changed into her uniform. I see the pants are a good fit. I can truly see now just how thin she is; her legs look amazingly toned, though. I notice for the first time that her breasts are much bigger than I had previously thought. The shirt fits her, but is a little tight across the chest. I go over to the cabinet and find some size two shirts and exchange them for the smaller ones I had previously given her.

"Here are some bigger shirts, those look a little tight. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Okay, so you have your uniform, what time will you be available to work?"

She looks at me, then at the floor. "I can be here at nine-twenty each weekday morning. On Tuesday and Thursdays, Seth and Leah go to a club group at their school. I don't need to pick them up until four-thirty. On the other days, I need to pick them up at three. They start school on Monday." I nod my head, writing down the information as she gives it to me. "I like spending the weekends with them, because I don't really see them during the week. But, I can work a few weekends if needed."

I smile at her reassuringly. "I was thinking about you working from nine-thirty to eleven-thirty here, then from noon until two-thirty at my house on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday you can work in my home from nine-thirty until three-thirty, and on Thursday work here nine-thirty until four." She nods her head and I give her a smile. "Okay then, I'll take you around the restaurant after we finish the paperwork." She nods again. "I need to know your social security number."

She bites her lip as I look at her, waiting for the information. "I don't have one, Sir."

I look at her frowning. "Did you lose your social security card? I only need it for my insurance. I will still pay you cash. I don't want you to lose the medical insurance, food stamps, or whatever government help you get for the kids."

She looks at me, her face filled with confusion. "No sir, I mean I don't have one, and I don't know how to get one, either. I know that it's wrong to be paid under the table, and you're taking a risk with me, but I really don't have one. We don't get any help from anyone apart from Aro and Zafrina. What are food stamps anyway? Are they like the coupons from the newspaper?"

I look at her and my mind is shouting '_bullshit'_, but there is something in her eyes that indicates that she is telling the truth. I rub my face trying to work out what the fuck is going on. How in the hell can she manage everything? She is paying everything with less than three hundred dollars a week?

She stands up. "I'm sorry I wasted your time. I'll wash the uniform I'm wearing and bring it back to you tomorrow. Thank you for trying, Sir." I look at her and she looks so fucking tired and lost.

I hold my hand up. "No, I just didn't have all the information; it's fine. I will pay you three hundred and fifty each week. I'll need your bank account number." I grab the forms from my desk, waiting for her information. I look at her since she still hasn't answered me. I see her looking at me open-mouthed, and slightly shaking her head. "What? What's wrong?" I ask, as she closes her eyes.

"But, I will only be working twenty-six and a half hours per week."

Shaking my head, "No, twenty-nine if you include the travel from here to my place, and you will also have your lunch break included in your hours."

She rubs her hand over the back of her head, and neck. "But even at that, you're paying me over twelve dollars an hour. It's far too much, Sir."

I smile, proud that she is able to figure the amount in her head so quickly. "No, most of my staff gets between ten to fifteen dollars per hour, plus tips. Since you are cleaning you will only get a share of the tips that are split among all the employees once a week. Your starting pay is a little higher to reflect that your job does not normally include tips." She nods her head whispering a low '_thank you'_. "Okay then, can you give me your bank details?"

She shakes her head, biting her lip again. "I don't have an account at the bank."

I look up at her, unable to hide my shock. "Really?" I ask out loud, not hiding very well at all the surprise in my voice. She nods her head. "May I ask why?" As she goes to answer, I hold up my hand knowing what she going to say. "You don't know how, do you?"

She shakes her head, confirming her lack of knowledge. "And I don't like banks," she says looking down at her feet.

_Why the fuck doesn't she like banks? _I let out a sigh as I decide to file away the rest of the questions I have for later_. _"Okay, I'll pay you in cash, every Friday. I will give you as much notice as I can if I need you to work on a weekend, but I don't really think it will be often. When and if I need you to come in, I'll pay you at the end of that day. She nods her head, agreeing to the pay schedule. "I need to go over your personal information to make sure everything is correct, okay?" I take her through each part of the form, most of which I have already filled in, asking her to tell me if something isn't correct. "Come on, I'll show you around." She stands up and I see that she is still holding the bag of wet clothes. I take it from her, and set it down.

"Taylor," I call out to him and he walks over to us.

"Taylor, this is Isabella. Isabella will be starting here on Monday morning. She is going to be cleaning and helping to set up." Taylor smiles at her, holding out his hand for her to shake. She looks at his hand, then at me as if to ask if it's safe to allow him to touch her. I watch as she reluctantly places just her fingers in his hand. She attempts to shake his hand by touching just her fingers to his palm. Her behavior is like a skittish animal sometimes; at least I can trust Taylor not to harm her. "Isabella has a key to my office, and she is allowed access whenever she needs it." He nods his head at Isabella who is now looking at the ground.

I show her around the restaurant. My establishment is a large square building with the front wall made completely of glass. The bar is along the back wall separating the main dining area from the kitchen, office, and bathrooms. To the left of the bar is the hallway that leads to the restrooms and to the right is the kitchen and the hallway to my office. Isabella is quiet the entire time I am showing her around. She doesn't really ask any questions, and seems to understand what she is supposed to do. I also show her the storage closet off of the kitchen where all of the cleaning supplies are kept.

"Are you okay with traveling on the bus?" I ask, looking at her and hoping that she is. I let out a sigh of relief when she nods her head. I walk her down to the bus stop; it's only few minutes' walk from Midnight Sun. "This is the bus you will need to take; it comes every ten minutes during the week and every half-hour on the weekends." I pay our fare, and she sits on the seat behind me. She doesn't look my way, or speak to me as we take our journey. We are on the bus for ten minutes when we arrive at our stop.

"This is the best place to get off," I say. She nods her head, and we walk five minutes further to my home. My townhouse is in the middle of a small street just two blocks from the bus stop. I love the secluded area of my townhouse, and the neighbors are all professionals who stick to themselves. "I need you to give me a number, at least four digits that you'll be able to remember. It will be the code you'll use to get into my home. Each person who has permission to enter my home has their own code."

She nods her head. "Zero, nine, one, three," she says looking down.

I know that is her birthdate. I have no doubt that she will be able to remember her code. I smile at her and show her how to enter it. She surprises me by getting it right first time she tries. I had to show Emmett four times before he got it right. We enter the house and I close the door behind her.

"As you can see, the front door opens into the living room." She gives me a smile. "This is the hall… " I trail off as I notice that she has stopped following me. Turning around, I see that she is motionless looking at my grand piano. "Don't worry about cleaning that, it's a little hard to do correctly and I enjoy doing it."

She is still looking at it, almost in awe. "Do you play?" She asks, looking at me in the eye for the first time today. She shakes her head slightly, and looks back to the floor. "I'm sorry it's none of my business, Sir. It is beautiful, if you can use that word when talking about a piano."

I smile at her, nodding my head. "I think it's beautiful too, and it's okay that you asked. Yes I do play." She moves closer to me, until she is standing a few feet behind me. Assuming she is waiting for the rest of the tour, I resume my previous path. "This is my home office; it is also the study and library all rolled into one." As we go in, I watch her face light up.

I watch her as she looks around the room her eyes seem to sparkle when she looks at the many books I own. I feel myself smile at her reaction to the books, when suddenly I notice that there seems to be a flash of pain that comes over her face. There is something else there, I'm not sure what it is, but it almost seems like longing. I notice her face goes a little pink; she's embarrassed, but I don't know why. Her eyes drop to the ground, so I store the memory away for another time.

I show her the rest of the first floor. After showing her the bathroom, dining room, and kitchen, I take her upstairs to the second floor. I show her the junk room I have; it is full of items I have stored away. I show her the three separate guest bedrooms, with their adjoining bathrooms. After looking around, I take her to the third floor. At one time it was the attic, but I have remodeled it into my bedroom and bathroom. She looks taken aback by the size of my bedroom. I chuckle a little.

"I like my space. The larger bedroom on the second floor was my bedroom, but it was rather crowded. I felt like I was enclosed and I wanted a larger space. I had the entire attic redesigned to give me all this space. Besides, being on the third floor gives me plenty of time before anyone can just barge into my room. Alice has the habit of just walking right in. With my room up here, it gives me a few minutes to get dressed before she appears."

Isabella looks at me with an odd expression. "Why don't you just block her number, so she can't get in?" She asks, then blushes shaking her head again. "Sorry Sir, it's none of my business. I was just thinking out loud."

I wave my hand at her, and smile. "Don't think I haven't tried. I don't know how she manages to get around it. She doesn't do it much anymore. She mainly came here unannounced when Jasper stayed over. He's another friend of mine and also Alice's husband."

Isabella smiles shyly and glances around the room. Oddly enough, I'm not stressed at all by her presence in my home. I move out of the room, and start making my way down the stairs. Walking back into the kitchen I finally speak, making sure she is still following me. "I'll just show you around the basement next. I have turned the entire basement into two separate rooms. Come on, I'll show you the home gym first," I say as we enter the room on the left. "As you can see, there is a treadmill, some weights, and a punching bag. There isn't much to do in here, but you can clean the wall of mirrors and wipe down the equipment. Across the hall we have the laundry room. I won't ask you to do much laundry, but there might be some every now and again." She nods her head as she follows me around the basement. I show her where she can find the cleaning products.

"Do you have any questions?" She bites her lip again, as if she's afraid to ask anything. "Isabella, I know that I have been a short-tempered asshole to you, but if you want to ask me something you can." I look at her and wait to hear what she has to say. Most people ask me how I can afford all of this on a teacher's salary. Don't get me wrong, my house is nowhere near top of the market like Jasper, Emmett, or Carlisle's, just entering their homes, you know without a doubt they have money. The Cullen's are very well-off, they are well-known and are counted among the richest families in the area. Carlisle has invested well over the years, and is a fine mix of both old and new money. Both Emmett and Jasper earn more money than they need to survive. I was more in the second-class family. I never had to worry about money, but I couldn't spend freely either. After my father died, my mother received a large sum of money. The court case to obtain the settlement for my father's estate took some time. That is how my mother met Esme. She went to work with Esme while we awaited the settlement. It wasn't like she had to work; my mother was also from a wealthy family. Before she worked for Esme, we were living on her inheritance and savings. When she left me, she took only enough for her to live on, leaving me the remaining amount.

I got my first job when I was seventeen. Esme and Carlisle refused to use any of my money for my living expenses; they always gave me an allowance. I have been saving money since I earned my first paycheck. When I turned eighteen, I got half of my inheritance money. I thought that was all of it, and was surprised when I turned twenty-one and received another installment. I am pulled from my inner thoughts as Isabella starts to speak.

"How do I contact you, if I am running late or need time off? I mean, I have only ever been late twice in the four years I worked at the hotel, three times at the college, but I always called to let them know. I have never taken any time off, but just in case." Of the questions she could have asked, I am surprised that she chose that one. At the same time, I realize that I don't have her phone number. I take my phone from my pocket.

"I have a few numbers that you will need. Why don't you give me your cell phone number? I'll text the different numbers where you can reach me." She nods her head, taking out of her bag a model of cell phone that I haven't seen in over a decade. It has to be analog, there is no way it has GPS capability. "Is that your cell phone?" I ask, not meaning my voice to sound so harsh. She looks at me in embarrassment and nods before looking down. "Shit! Fuck! Isabella, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," I say, full of remorse.

She gives me a forced smile, which I really have started to dislike. "It's fine Sir, my cell phone number is 206-555-0913 and my home number is 206-555-1202." I punch in both numbers and send her a text with my contact numbers.

"What should I call you when we here or at Midnight Sun? I mean, do I still call you Professor Masen, Mr. Masen, or Sir?"

I look at her, remembering that I still haven't told her to call me Edward. "How about Edward, all my staff calls me by my first name." I smile at her, but it falls as I notice that she seems upset by this. "Isabella, what would you be comfortable calling me?"

She closes her eyes and fidgets. "It isn't my choice; you are my boss, so I have to call you whatever you ask me to."

I nod my head. "Okay then Isabella, I would like you to call me Edward." I see something flash in her eyes, so I quickly re-think. "However, if it makes you more comfortable then you can call me Professor Masen, or Mr. Masen. I am happy with all three of them. I will let you choose which one you want to call me." She nods her head in acknowledgement. "Do you want to ask anything else?" She shakes her head. "So you don't want to know how I got all this?" I ask her, waving my hand around the room.

Suddenly I feel like an asshole again, because she looks at me with a confused and hurt look on her face. "That is not my concern; you're paying me to clean your things, not to inquire how you earned them. If I had to guess, I would assume that you paid for them, like every other person who has a house full of his own things." Her voice is a mixture of hurt and anger, and I deserve the anger. I feel regret knowing I have hurt her yet again.

"I'm sorry. It's just most people ask how I managed to get all of this. It's one of the reasons why I no longer bring people here."

She closes her eyes, and shakes her head slightly. "May I speak freely, Sir?" What? I pull my eyes to meet hers. Why would she use those words? "Can I say something without putting this job on the line?"

I nod my head at her and wave my hand to which she just gives a confused look. "Yes, you may speak freely," I sigh.

"If it really bothers you bringing me here, then why did you? I didn't ask you for a job; well, I know that I went into your restaurant for a job, but I wouldn't have done that had I known that it was yours. How you got this house and bought your restaurant, well that's your business. It's also your choice if you tell me or not, but finding out how you earned your things hasn't even crossed my mind. I've been trying to keep track of what you want me to do here and trying to survive. I have cleaned your classroom for four years now, and I know how hard you work. I would assume that's how you got all of this. It's your money to spend how you choose. If you feel that this was a mistake or is too much for you, then just tell me."

This has been the most I have ever heard her speak at one time. Her tone was soft, low, and respectful, and at no point did it change. Her face begins to turn red, and I realize I still haven't replied to her. "Isabella I told you that I'm an asshole, and you're right, not everyone cares about wealth and greed." I'm sorry; I will try harder to be nice." She nods her head. "So are you okay to start work on Monday?" Again she nods her head. "Well you'll need this," I say. I hand her seventy-five dollars, and she looks at the money, then me. "I kept you for four and half hours today," I say. Double checking the time I look at my watch to see that it's almost two o'clock. "That's your pay for today, and since it's Friday, it's payday."

She looks at the money and then asks with a confusion-laced voice, "But, I didn't do anything today. Also four and half hours at twelve dollars an hour is only fifty-four dollars. There is seventy-five dollars here; that is twenty-one dollars too much."

I smile again about how quickly she is able to work out basic math in her head. "The other twenty-one is for your bus fare which I will pay you each week." She looks at me like she wants to reject that idea. "Isabella I know that you like walking, but since you're working for me I would like you to take the bus, at least from Midnight Sun to here and back again."

She places the money in her pocket. "Thank you Mr. Masen." I am upset that she called me Mr. Masen instead of Edward. I'm not sure why this bothers me as much as it does.

"I have one last thing to give you before we leave." Her eyes flash to mine before dropping back down to the floor. I walk over to the table, get my almost twenty year old personal tape player, and hand it to her. "This was mine when I was younger, and since I caused yours to get broken I would like you to have this one." I extend it out to her.

She just looks at the tape player in my hand. "There really is no need to give it to me, Sir. You didn't break the one I had, the ground did."

I chuckle and raise my eyebrows at her. "But, I _am_ the asshole that made you fall." I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck thinking of a way to make her take it. "I'll tell you what; I'll lend it to you until you get one of your own. I'd really like you to take it. As your boss, it will make me happy for you to be able to listen to books while you work."

I smile, seeing her hand reach to take it from me. "Thank you, Sir." I smile at her, and she returns the smile shyly. For once I feel the smile from a woman is sincere and not some put-on or game.

We walk out, lock the door, and head for the bus stop. I show her that she takes the same bus, but catches it on the opposite side of the road. On the bus she once again sits behind me, and doesn't speak at all. Once we exit the bus, we walk back to the front of Midnight Sun.

"Thanks again Mr. Masen. I'll see you on Monday morning," she says, giving me a little wave before walking away.

I head into my office, thinking back on my time with her today. I keep trying to figure her out; in many ways she has a submissive attitude. It troubles me and makes me wonder if this is her nature, or if she has she been conditioned to be like this. Part of me thinks that she seems a bit 'born yesterday', but her vocabulary and math skills indicate that it's not necessarily true. Argh… I grip my hair, pick up my cellphone and call Jasper.

"Hello Edward." Alice answers the phone in her manically happy mode. "Why didn't you call me back? I left like four voice mails for you." I try to answer her, but can't because she continues to speak, cutting off my attempt. "Anyway, I need to book a table for Saturday the tenth of September at six. There will be ten of us, which _does_ include you." I sigh as she harps on about booking a table three weeks in advance. "I want one away from the window and the walls, and not one near the kitchen or the bar. Oh, and not in the middle of the room either. I really hate it when people are always moving around your table, and I would like one of your better waiters, not one that picks his nose or coughs a lot; someone with some manners and class." I bang my head against the desk as she keeps talking. "You _will_ be there, so don't make me come and get you. Since it will be at your place, you have no excuse, and you can go back to work after we leave if you need to. I don't know if you'll want to go, but the rest of us are hitting a few clubs after we eat." She stops talking, but I can hear her talking away to Jasper. "Okay Edward, Jasper is demanding I give him the phone, he's such a meanie. By the way, you're an ass for not calling me, but I still love you. Edward, we really do need to talk more." _Please, for the love of God, make her give Jasper the phone._ "Jasper stop! Please! No, not my Jimmy Choo's." I can hear Alice's screams through the phone. "Here's Jasper, we _will_ talk more soon. Next time you better call me, damn it."

"Sorry about that Edward, we were having a late lunch," Jasper says. _Thank you God!_

"I need to talk to you about Isabella again. I can call you back when your Sweetie Pie's not there."

He laughs at me calling Alice his Sweetie Pie. "It's fine Edward, I'm in my home office and she's in the living room buying more shoes online; I may have thrown her Jimmy Choo's in the garbage compactor."

I laugh. "Really?"

"Yes really, I heard her talking to you and asked her to pass me the phone. I know you well enough that if you didn't hang up on her right away, then you really needed to speak to me. Plus she has the same pair in five different colors." I laugh along with him. "So are you going to tell me what happened?"

I sigh rubbing my face. "Well, she took the job," I say picking up my pen and doodling on a piece of paper.

"I thought that was what you were aiming for? Why don't you sound happy about it?"

"I just get a strange feeling. It's hard to put into words Jasper. When I first spoke with her… I'm not going to say she was stupid, but she seemed a little, you know, _slow_. But today, she spoke better than some of the English teachers I've met. She is extremely fast at math, and she works it out in her head. She was able to work out her hourly pay in her head so fast, faster than using a calculator. She always call me Sir, or by my title." I pinch the bridge of my nose, having stopped talking.

"Edward, she may have just been brought up to be polite. Most people who are really shy are distant during conversations. A shy person can often be judged by their inability to carry on a conversation, and it may cause others to have a poor impression of them. She may just be getting more comfortable with you."

I frown. "I know what you're saying and I agree, but I can't get rid of the feeling that there is something I am missing. She's not telling me something, and it worries me. Jasper, what if the person who hurt her is still in her life? I mean what if they're still hurting her." That thought alone is causing me sharp chest pains. I grab my bottle of pills, pop one and swallow a drink of water.

"Just keep gaining her trust. Would you like me to come by for a visit, and slyly observe her?" Half of me wants to say yes, the other half is saying no. I know that she wouldn't like that. But the part of me saying yes, knows that I can get more insight into Isabella if I can get Jasper's input.

"Yes, can you come to my place at one on Monday? I have a break from UW, so I was going to be there to see how she is getting on." He agrees to the meeting, and I hang up. I head out to tend bar until it is time to go to Aro's.

Arriving at the club, I swing by Aro's office and fill him in on giving Isabella a job. After we talk briefly, I head down to the BDSM playroom. Tonight I am seeing Carmen, and I am really looking forward it. I step into the room to change into my soft, black, button-fly jeans. Entering the hallway, I shake Garrett's hand and he tells me Carmen is set up the way I requested.

Opening the door, I see Carmen, blindfolded and kneeling in the center of the floor. I move to stand in front of her. I know she can feel my presence; her whole body is vibrating with anticipation. She knows that when I leave this room in three hours, she will have been more than satisfied.

"Hello Carmen, you may use your hands to release my cock. I want to fuck that hot, little mouth of yours," I say wrapping her long, black, braided hair around my fist. Her hands make fast work of releasing me, and I quickly thrust my hard cock deep into her mouth. She sucks and nibbles, lightly dragging her tongue under the head of my cock and hollowing her cheeks as she sucks me in with each thrust. The whole experience makes me harder, and just before I blow my load I picture Isabella with her mouth around me. "Oh… oh fuck, yes, oh fuck yes… _Isabella_… "

After arriving home, I sit down at the piano with three fingers of bourbon. I have no idea what came over me tonight at the club, or what possessed me to think of Isabella. Deciding that I have just been overcome with stress, I lock it away and decide that I will talk to Jazz if it happens again.

**~HCV~**

It's Saturday and I am at the local shopping mall to get a few last minute things before the fall semester officially starts on Wednesday. I am looking in a shop window when I have a strange urge to turn around. Upon doing so, I see Isabella with Seth and Leah. I look at them, and I mean _really_ look at them.

Seth is just a little shorter than Bella, who is about Alice's height. I would say a few inches below five feet. He is wearing a pair of jean shorts, a skater t-shirt and an unbuttoned jacket. He has brownish-blond hair, which he has styled like that pop singer kid, Justin Bieber. He has a clean, almost new-looking pair of trainers on and white ankle socks. Leah is about two inches shorter than him with mid-length, strawberry-blond hair reaching just below her shoulders. It looks like has recently been cut. She has her hair held up in clips that pull the sides back. She is wearing a knee-length, blue printed skirt and matching top and has an unbuttoned jacket on. She is also wearing knee length socks and blue shoes.

I look at Isabella; she's wearing jeans that look a little big for her. She is wearing the same jacket that she always wears. I can see where she has sewn the arm. Her hair is loose this time, and it is much longer than I thought; it hits below her ass. There is no obvious style to it, and it looks as if she has never really had it cut by a professional. Her shoes are the same ones I always see her in, and they look as if they're a few years old. She is carrying a lot of bags and by the look of them, I would say they contain Seth and Leah's school clothes.

"We're almost done. Just shoes and a school bag for each of you, I think. How about we get something to eat?" I look around realizing that I have been staring at them. I have moved and I'm now following them like a god-damned stalker again. I carry on watching them, even following them into the food court.

"May I please get a ham salad sandwich, a tuna salad sandwich, two chocolate milkshakes, and a bottle of water?" I hear her order, and watch as she pays for the food and drinks. She moves them to a small, clean table and she sits across from Leah and Seth. Seth takes the ham salad sandwich and Leah takes the tuna salad. Isabella doesn't look like she is going to eat anything with them. I watch her as she only drinks the bottle of water. I'm sitting away from them, but still close enough that I can hear them talking.

"Let me just double check and see what we have?" Isabella smiles at Leah. "We've got barrettes, headbands, and hair ties," she says holding up one of the bags. "You have two skirts, two dresses, and a pair of jeans. Three school shirts and two polo shirts." She holds up more bags. "Three grey sweaters, and two black cardigans. Then we have tights, socks, and underwear; a pencil case, pencils, notebooks, folders, crayons, scissors, glue, and a lunch box. Which means you still need shoes and a school bag?" Leah smiles and nods her head.

"Seth you've got three pairs of jeans and two pairs of khakis, three school shirts, two polo shirts, two grey _round-collar_ sweaters, two black _V-neck_ sweaters, and one black cardigan. Plus we have your pencil case, pencils, notebooks, folders, crayons, scissors, and glue; underwear, socks, one black tie, and your lunch box. Looks like you only need shoes and a school bag as well, agreed?" They both nod their heads, mumbling a yes as they eat.

Isabella frowns at them. "Please don't speak with your mouth full."

As they finish eating, Isabella unnecessarily cleans the table. "Do you need the bathroom before we leave?" They both nod their heads and walk my way toward the bathrooms. Isabella's eyes flash to mine, and she gives me her normal half-smile and nod. I return it before she can look away.

"Bella, do I have to use the women's bathroom? Please can I use the men's? I promise not to go anywhere, and I'll stay right here 'til you come out." Bella rubs her head before nodding her head at him.

"Leah, will you be okay to go in by yourself?" Bella asks.

Leah smiles at Bella. "Yes," she says nodding her head as she speaks.

"Okay you two, I'll be standing right here, so no messing around, and wash your hands please." They both nod and go into the restrooms. True to her word, Isabella stands right outside the doors waiting for them to exit.

I clean my table, placing what I haven't eaten in the trash. Instead of just leaving, I find myself walking over to her. I am unable to stop myself, and not really sure that I want to.

"Good afternoon Isabella, how are you today?"

She smiles at me; meeting my eyes with her own before down-casting her eyes. "I'm good, thank you Mr. Masen."

I nod my head. "Are you out shopping for anything special?" I ask, pointing to her bags.

"Yes, for Seth and Leah, they seem to be growing all the time. They needed new school things, because they have outgrown everything from last year already." She bites her lip as she looks towards the bathroom doors.

"They seem really nice, both of them."

She turns to look at me with a big smile on her face. "Yes they are. They're great; both are really smart and talented. They are, well the most amazing kids anyone could ask for. I don't think it's possible to get better ones. They are, well they're my life. " I notice her eyes; full of sparkle and life as she talks about them.

We both turn as the kids come out of their respective restrooms at almost the same time. They stop as they look toward me, then Bella, and freeze. I didn't realize that during our talk, I had moved closer to her. I take a step back, and almost simultaneously they both relax and move toward us.

"Seth, Leah, this Mr. Masen. He is one of the professors at the college, and he is also my boss at the new job I was telling you about."

Leah looks at Bella. "A Professor is like a fancy teacher, right?"

I laugh a little, and smile at the little girl. "Yes, I am a teacher."

Seth frowns at me. "Why do they call you Professor then? Why not just teacher or mister? So can I call my new teacher Professor Stroker, instead of Mr. Stroker?"

Leah starts laughing. "I don't think so Seth, Mr. Stroker is just a teacher. I think professors only teach at colleges." Isabella looks to me almost if to confirm what she just said.

"Yes, that's right," I say looking at Leah and Seth who are both laughing now.

"It's rude to laugh at somebody's name, not very nice at all," Isabella says, frowning at them. "You don't even know why you're laughing. Just because the older kids laugh at his name doesn't mean you have to as well." They both keep laughing until Isabella gives them a look as if to say, I'm not kidding and they both stop.

"Mr. Masen do you think his name is funny?" Leah asks me, and I shake my head as Seth starts talking.

"All the big kids say, hello Mr. Dick Stroker, and… " Before Seth can finish what he was saying I burst out laughing, which sets them both off again. I hear Isabella clear her throat, looking right at me.

I hold up my hands. "Shit, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting that."

She shakes her head at me. "Oh you said the _S_ word, that's bad," I hear from both kids at once.

I look at Seth and Leah, completely embarrassed by my vulgar mouth. "Oh shit, fuck," I slap my hand over my mouth. Why the hell do I keep swearing? Regaining my composure quickly, I look at Seth and Leah. "I'm sorry for swearing in front of you both," I say. Turning my gaze, I look at Isabella. "I'm really sorry about that, it just slipped out."

She nods her head. "I see your filter is still not fixed, then."

I smile at her, glad that she is not upset about it. "No, not yet."

"It was nice to see you Mr. Masen, but we better get going. We have a few more things to get."

Seth and Leah each take a bag and give me a wave. "Bye Mr. Masen," they both say.

"Good bye Seth, Leah, Isabella," I say giving her one last smile as she leaves.

**~HCV~**

Driving out of the parking lot, my head turns involuntarily and I see Isabella, Seth, and Leah. I pull back in and watch them. They are standing at the bus stop. I see the bus as it stops and they board. Their home is only a twenty to thirty minute walk from here. I know that the only reason Isabella is on the bus is because the twins are with her. It's almost as if she'll do anything, pay anything to make sure they have what they need, but from what I can see, she doesn't take very good care of herself.

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><p><strong>AN: So how is the redemption coming along in your eyes? Were you happy to see that he replaced that darn obsolete cassette tape player? **_**(I fondly remember my Sony Walkman, I was so cool. Ah, the 80's… sigh. )**_** What are your thoughts on the shopping experience? Edward sure does enjoy his surveillance of her, doesn't he? **

_**~ Kasi (& Nikky)**_

**We both want to say a HUGE thank you for your votes and support for the recent nominations and polls we have been in. Thank you so very much. **

**Story Recommendation: **

**Hope Springs **

**By: justginger on ffn **

**or Peoplelikeus on TWCS **

**Bella Swan has been alone for most of her life, she is young and she is scared, but now she has another life to protect. She is heading for a new country – a new life and then she ends up in HOPE SPRINGS. Will she run, or will she allow the people in.**

**This is truly an amazing story, and it currently owns me. I am a fan-girl of Michele's anyway, so I hope you'll like it. Please take a moment and read and review, tell her Kasi sent you. **

**As always each and every review we get from you will be answered, and all reviewers get a teaser of next Thursdays chapter! Come on, leave us some love…**


	8. Chapter 8 Birthday Surprise

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to S. Meyer, this storyline belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT. Huge thanks to Jess2002 , MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, Dee, and Sarah**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Birthday Surprise<strong>

Today is the first day of the fall semester, so I'm on my way to work early. The class periods will be filled with introductions, new textbooks, reading lists, and the distribution of the dreaded syllabus. It's always interesting to see who walks through the doors of my classroom at the beginning of each semester.

On my way in, I called Taylor and made him aware of Isabella's fear of touch. I didn't want to get into it too much, but I needed to make sure he was aware of the situation and would watch out for her. I told him I didn't know what her skittishness was about, but that it was her own personal business. I don't yet know the ins and outs of it myself, and he doesn't need to know that I intend to learn it all. I asked him to make her feel welcome and to try and make sure that the others respect her boundaries. I told him to make sure that everyone lets her work without bothering her too much. The last thing I want is for them to treat her like a shiny, new toy, and swamp her with dumb-ass questions.

I let out a sigh and rub my face before going into the lion's den, also known as my classroom. Right now, the campus is full of cliques of hot-heads, sluts, geeks, wannabes, players, jocks, nerds, emos, goths, and all the other diversified groups of people that make up the student body. They're all here with the same things coursing through their systems; a mix of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation of what this semester will bring. It will take at least two weeks for them to understand that _I_ am the one in charge of my class, _not_ them. The fact that some professors feed into the erratic behaviors, and allow concessions, makes it that much more difficult for those of us who prefer more learning and less nonsense in the classroom. By the time a student reaches my class, they should be at least _somewhat_ serious about learning. There are far too many students though, who think since they're still teenagers, they can do whatever they want as long as they mean well.

The beginning of the semester is always an adventure of sorts, and I hate it with a passion. Like I said, welcome to the lion's den or maybe it's more like welcome to the jungle!

Upon arriving to my classroom, I type out an email to Aro from my blackberry about what I want tonight.

_Aro, tonight I would like to see Maria. Please advise her that Anthony would like for her to be in control tonight. She must remain blindfolded and completely quiet, no talking at all. She may touch me at will, using her body and hands to please me. I want a full five hours instead of three tonight. I will be there promptly at five, and I want her ready to go right away. Let me know if this is not acceptable. ~ Edward_

I asked specifically for Maria, because she is the sweetest of all '_my girls'_. As I hit send, I can't help but hope that I am making the right choice for tonight. I'm sure that by the end of today I will be stressed out, but I just feel the need for a more sensual, soft, and easy experience tonight. But right now, however, I need to focus on today's lessons and think more about that some other time. As the clock ticks closer to the top of the hour, a few students start to enter the classroom; it's time for introductions, and the handing out of the syllabus. My hellions have arrived.

It's just coming up on one in the afternoon, and I'm running late. I wanted to get to my house and talk to Isabella before Jasper got there, and it looks like I just might have pulled it off. I head in and am surprised. My home is never really messy; because I am rarely there, except late in the evenings. Walking in though, I am floored; not only does it look much cleaner, but there's also a nice, fresh scent in the air.

"Isabella," I say while wondering where she might be. I go to rest my keys on the entryway table, and I see that there is now a small bowl there. "Why didn't I think of that?" I mumble to myself. I place the keys inside the bowl and set the box with her new shoes down beside it. I smile, turning around and jump back in surprise as Isabella is standing right there.

"Fuck!" I chuckle a little, trying to get my heart to slow down. "I didn't hear you," I say, smiling at her.

"Sorry Sir. I didn't mean to give you a fright. You called for me; do you need me to do something for you?" Isabella asks, only looking at me in the beginning of her speech. By the time she said 'I didn't', her eyes were back on the floor. This is really bothering me, and I need to put a stop to it.

"Isabella, I want you to look at me when we talk." I watch her bite her lip, but slowly her head tilts up to face me. I give her a smile. "How has your day been, did you find everything you needed at Midnight Sun?"

Isabella shyly returns my smile with one of her own. "I did everything that you asked of me. Mr. Taylor showed me where the cleaning machines were kept. Your other staff was all very accommodating and welcoming."

I nod my head, mentally running through what she's just said. "You know, it's just Taylor, Isabella. You don't need to add the mister part; he's an employee just like you. Besides, I think he would prefer that you just call him Taylor." I raise my eyebrows at her and she blushes.

"Yes sir, he told me that too."

I grin just a bit at her admission. "Okay, how has everything been around here today?" I ask, as I begin walking into the living room.

"Everything has been good so far, Mr. Masen."

I nod my head. "You haven't been here very long at all and my living room already looks clean. What's that smell?"

Isabella bites her lip again. "I found some candles in the cleaning closet. Did I do something wrong, Sir? You weren't keeping them for a special occasion, were you?" A look of worry is clouding her face.

I shake my head the whole time she is speaking. "No I didn't even know that they were there. But I will say this; I wish I had known because it really does smell great in here." I look at  
>Isabella, happy to see that even though she did not keep eye contact with me the entire time we spoke, she did keep glancing my way. She's improving a bit it seems.<p>

_**Knock. Knock.**_

Isabella and I both jump at the sound of the sudden noise. I chuckle and smile at Isabella. "That will most likely be my friend Jasper; he said that he was going to join me for lunch." I turn, going to the door.

"Hey Jazz, since when do you knock?" I ask, laughing as I open the door.

"I thought it would be best, in case I scared your new employee. Knowing you like I do, you more than likely forgot to tell her that I was coming." He smirks at me, and I roll my eyes at him. Always a wise ass!

"Isabella this is my ex-best, smart-assed friend, Jasper. By all accounts, he is also a part of my family. We all call him Jazz."

Isabella bites her lip and looks at the floor. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Jasper." I frown that once again she has added the mister title onto someone's name.

"Well hello there little darlin'. Now, none of this mister stuff ya hear? It's just plain old Jasper, or Jazz is fine for a pretty little lady like you." As Jasper uses his full Texas accent on her, she is turning so red; I am becoming concerned that she might actually pass out.

She is looking at me almost as if she is awaiting my approval to call him something less formal. I give her a smile and a reassuring nod. "You heard him; just call him Jazz." I hit his shoulder as a small chuckle comes out of Isabella.

"It's nice to meet you Jazz. Do you need me to get anything for you Mr. Masen, or would you like for me to return to work?"

I shake my head. "We are fine Isabella, you can return to what you were doing." She gives me a nod, and turns and walks away.

"So that's the famous Isabella then?" I can't tell by his face what he is thinking, but I know he's curious.

"Yeah that's her; any first thoughts?"

He lets out a sigh and rubs his head. "She's what, twenty-four?"

I nod my head. "Well in three weeks she will be."

He walks with me into my kitchen. "Well she sure is small, and not just in height. She's very pale and the dark coloring under her eyes leads me to believe that she doesn't sleep much; she looks extremely tired. Her appearance indicates that she has missed some essential nutrients over the years. The reddish-brown spots I noticed on her nails indicate that she is probably lacking folic acid, protein, and vitamin C in her daily diet. She looks to you for permission to call me Jazz, and seems to be unsure of what she is and isn't allowed to do." He stops talking while pouring himself a drink. I pull at my hair in frustration, having not learned too awfully much about her that I didn't already know.

I begin making lunch as we continue to chat, but not about my main interest, Isabella. I put some extra food together for her just in case she hasn't eaten anything. After what I saw at the mall and what Jazz just confirmed, I assume that she more than likely has skipped lunch and it probably isn't her first time. I decide to make some sandwiches to go with my soup. Unsure of what Isabella likes, I make four different varieties. When everything is done, I slowly carry the covered pot of soup to the table.

"Isabel… Ouch, what the fuck Jazz?" I ask rubbing my head where Jasper has just slapped me.

"She is not your pet, Edward."

I glare at him. "Jasper I know that, I was just… "

I stop talking as he holds up his hand, shaking his head at me. "You call a dog; Isabella is _not_ a bitch so don't call her as if she is one. Get off your ass and go get her. Do not yell at her or beckon her like some sort of slave or animal. Jeez, do you not have any gentility or manners at _all_ in that hard head of yours? With all the books you've read, I would have thought that you would've picked up at least _some_ useful human relations skills."

Standing here shooting daggers at him with my eyes as he just fucking smirks at me, makes me even more agitated. I get up from my seat. "Okay I get it, I will go get her. Now shut the fuck up or you will go without lunch, dickhead."

He looks at me strangely. "What's with all the swearing, you're not really the potty-mouth type. The whole keeping things business-like is more your forte. Are you not able to keep your emotions under control?"

I shrug my shoulders and sigh. "That damned panic attack has completely fucked me up. I mean really fucking messed with my head. Now if it pleases you, I will go and get her, do want me to bow to her too?" I ask being a smartass, as I raise my eyebrows at him. He gives me back the same look only slightly better, so I leave the kitchen after giving him the finger. Serves him right, that prick!

I search the house, and every room I go into is neat and tidy. Not that the house was ever dirty, but it now has a fresh, clean scent that I didn't realize before that it was missing. I sigh, making my way up to my bedroom, which is also nice and clean. She is doing so well; it almost makes me feel like a bit of a slob. I move into the bathroom, but she's not there either._ Well that is strange, where in the fuck could she be? I look in every room. The only one I haven't looked in yet is the junk room, but I told her not worry with that. I decide to look in there, just in case. If that fails I will just have to shout out for her. I'm sure I will 'get it' from Jazz, but what else can I do? _I find myself deep in thought, agreeing with myself like an obedient robot. I sigh, shaking off the feeling that I am losing my mind as I go into the junk room. I open the door to find her on the step ladder, cleaning the blinds. I give the room a quick glance, and see that it looks a lot more organized and pristine. All of the things I have in here have been cleaned and made spotless.

"Isabella," I call to her. She turns her head, pulls out an earbud and looks at me. "I would like for you to join Jazz and me for lunch. Please get cleaned up and come to the kitchen." She nods and walks until she is standing a few feet from me, looking down. I really don't understand why she does this every time.

"I will see you in a few minutes," I say, walking out. When I don't hear any movement behind me, I look back and see her walking upstairs toward my bathroom. I am surprisingly okay with her choosing to use my personal bathroom. I head back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Did you find her?" Jasper asks, as he pours three cups of coffee.

"Yes, I told her to join us. She is just cleaning herself up," I say, sitting down at the table. I pick up one of the sandwiches and look at Jasper, who is frowning at me. "What now?" I ask, placing the sandwich back down.

"First off, stop eating until she is sitting with us. Second, you told her to eat with us, you didn't ask her?"

I rub my head and take a deep breath. "What the fuck is the difference, she's joining us, right? Besides it is quite clear that she doesn't eat much, even you said that."

He shakes his head at me. "Yes, but you still should have let her choose whether she wants to have lunch with us or not."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. As I get ready to agree with the fuckhead, a movement in the corner of my eye makes my head turn. There stands Isabella at the door. _Fucking hell, the girl is going to give me a heart attack, she is so damn quiet. _As Jasper frowns at me, I start speaking to her, cutting the fucker off before he gets going. "Isabella, come on in and have a seat." Jasper turns his head as he sees her, and jumps up out of his seat. He just glares at me like I am stupid. I mouth '_what_' to him, but he just slaps his forehead and shakes his head at me. Once Isabella has sat down at the table, he takes his seat again; I roll my eyes at his formal behavior.

"Isabella, how is working for Mr. Asshole here going for you so far? I know one thing, whatever he is paying is not enough, you already deserve a raise for putting up with his moody ass."

Isabella bites her lip. "I have found Mr. Masen to be very kind. I'm enjoying working for him." Her voice is clear and she only looks at Jasper as she begins speaking, but then looks down again.

"Well that's good. I would hate to have to kick his ass and ruin my new shoes," Jasper chuckles. As Isabella frowns at him, I flip him off behind her back.

"Jasper," she gasps out. "I thought Mr. Masen was your friend? Why would you want to hurt him?"

Both Jasper and I turn to Isabella who is clearly upset over the thought of Jasper kicking my ass. He looks at me and I shrug my shoulders because I don't understand her either.

"I am truly sorry, little lady," Jasper drawls, tilting his head at her. "I was only making a joke. I wouldn't really kick his ass, but I will have a talk with him if I find that he is being un-gentlemanly towards you. I'm sorry that I upset you with my choice of words." Isabella visibly relaxes as Jasper explains his intentions.

"Mr. Masen has been very nice to me, and he has been a gentleman."

Jasper smiles at her, picking up the sandwich platter. "Well little lady, I'll take your word for it. Edward here isn't good at many things, but I have found his sandwiches to be some of the best I've ever had." He looks at me as he keeps the plate in front of her, but she doesn't take one. "You really should try one, they are very good. There are different kinds to choose from," he says coaxingly. Again she glances at me silently, asking my permission to take a sandwich.

"Isabella please take one, or two, or as many as you can eat. There are plenty." Slowly her hand goes up to the platter, and takes the first one her hand lands on.

"Isabella, do you take sugar and cream in your coffee?" Jasper asks, as he is stirring both into his cup of coffee.

Isabella looks at Jasper. "I don't know, Sir."

Jasper glances at me before returning to look at Isabella. "Now little lady, we have been through this. I am Jasper or Jazz, not sir or mister. Have you never had coffee before?" Isabella shakes her head. "Okay, what do you normally drink then?" Jasper asks, giving her his 'doctor' smile.

"Water," both Jasper and I look at each other, then to her.

"You only drink water, never anything else?" I know Jasper well enough to know that this has him quite concerned.

"No, well I do have some milk in my cereal, but only when I eat cereal for breakfast."

I smile at her again, trying not to show my concern. "I'll get you a bottle of water Isabella," I say, as I move to the fridge.

"Edward tells me that you have a brother and sister?" Jasper says questioningly, as he takes a bite of his sandwich and looks at her.

"Yes, they are twins. Seth and Leah are seven now." I see that she smiles more openly when talking about them.

"You sound as if you get along with them quite well." Isabella takes a small bite of her sandwich and nods. She goes to speak, but stops and looks at the sandwich in surprise.

I smile because I know that she likes it. I hand her the bottle of water I brought to the table. "Thank you Mr. Masen." I smile at her again and watch as she takes another bite of her sandwich.

"You are very lucky, to have such a great relationship with your siblings. I hate my sister Rose; she was and still is a moody brat, not to mention being a pain in the ass. When we were growing up, she made me wish that I was an only child," Jasper chuckles.

Isabella shakes her head at him. "It was just me before they came along. I'm so glad that they did, they mean the world to me. Sometimes they fight with each other and get mad at me, but even in the worst of times they are still my world. I would live through anything with them, rather than go back to being an only child." I watch her face fall as she talks, knowing that those times before the twins arrived were somehow traumatic for her.

"Well I was the second child and she never let me forget it. Now Edward here, I feel very much like a big brother to him. When it comes to Edward, I wouldn't give him up even if he is the biggest ass around; which is a good thing for him, since he's an ass ninety-nine percent of the time. I didn't know him until I was in my mid-teens, though."

She gives Jasper a very tight smile and begins to shake a little. She looks sadly at the table before continuing to eat.

_**Beep. Beep.**_

Isabella looks at her watch, turning it off before biting her lip. "Mr. Masen, I am sorry. I want to finish the junk room, but I need to leave now."

She looks upset over the fact that she can't complete a room that wasn't even on her list of duties. I hold my hand up to her to stop her from worrying. "It's quite all right Isabella; you've done more than enough today." I smile at her. "I received my schedule for my college classes today. I work from nine to five on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I have Tuesday mornings off and teach from two to six. I will be here with you on Tuesday, until I leave. On Thursdays, I have the whole day off, and will be at Midnight Sun."

She nods her head. "I'll see you tomorrow morning then," she says, collecting her jacket. "Goodbye Mr. Masen, it was nice to meet you Sir... I mean Jasper." As she heads to the front door, she trips but catches herself before falling. She bends over just a little as she gets up which reminds me that I still have to give her the new shoes. I go to get the box, but see that Jasper is now staring at her ass. I hit his head on the way past and he looks at me. _'What the fuck was that for?' _he mouths as I roll my eyes at him.

"Isabella wait, I have your new shoes here for you." I grab them off the table at the door and hand them to her.

"Thank you Sir, I'll see you tomorrow." I smile as I close the door then frown before turning back to the pervert also known as Jasper.

"What the hell are you looking at me like that for?" Jasper asks, as I shake my head at him.

"You say that I'm no gentleman, but you're the one drooling over her ass."

He smirks at me and shrugs his shoulders. "Well you know I have a thing for small women with nice asses. This is the first ass I've seen that I would say is better than Alice's." I frown at him, but picture Isabella bending over in my head, and he is right, she does have a nice ass. It's strange, I have never found small asses to be appealing before, but as the image stays in my head, I start to feel myself getting hard. I shake my head trying to shake off the thoughts of her nice tight… argh!

"See?" I go to hit him again, but the pervert blocks me. "I would like to spend more time with her before I give you the low down, but you're right, she really is interesting." I sigh as he looks at his watch, knowing that he needs to go. "I better head out before I'm late for my three o'clock appointment," he sighs, rubbing his face.

I chuckle because I know his telltale signs and he's under a lot of stress suddenly. That can only mean one thing; his next client is one he would rather not have. "Let me guess, your three o'clock appointment is the streaker?" He nods his head as he waves goodbye. I clean up the kitchen before I head out to the restaurant to do some paperwork.

After I get to the restaurant, I get a bunch of paperwork caught up and send in the order for our paper products. I go over the checklist I gave Taylor and see that he gave Isabella nothing but perfect reviews on her cleaning earlier. I am quite pleased. Hiring Isabella is one of the smartest things I have ever done.

**~HCV~**

I head off to the club, and I'm excited and looking forward to my earlier decision. Aro's reply was fast and I could tell by the wording of his reply he was rather shocked by my request. I can't wait to be inside of Maria, and tonight I intend to do something I have never done before with her or any of Aro's girls. She will still be blindfolded, but she has free range to do whatever she would like to do. I have this deep desire to be pleased and not have to work for it so hard. I hope this satisfies this feeling inside of me. I really hope having Maria use my body for her pleasure feels as good as it sounds. I smile as I make my way into the club and head directly down to the appointed room. It's ten 'til five, so I have a few minutes. I see Garrett coming out of the room I will be in tonight and he smiles and shakes my hand.

Entering the room, I see that it is softly lit with low lights around the edges. I walk to the bed that is the main focus in the room. Sitting on the foot of the bed is the sinfully soft and blindfolded Maria. I walk directly to her, standing in front of her and slip the robe off, throwing it over the chair by the foot of the bed. "Hello Maria, how are you this evening?"

"I am well, Anthony. Aro told me that we were changing things up a little tonight, is that right?"

"Yes that's correct; I only ask that you do not take off the blindfold and that you refrain from kissing my mouth. Other than those two conditions, I am at your disposal, use me. This is what I want."

"Can I ask just one question, you certainly don't have to answer it if you don't want to, but may I ask?"

"Of course," I say as I move to the bed behind her and lay back on the pillows.

"Why me, I mean why again so soon? I am pleased to have this time with you, and ecstatic to have the opportunity to please you at my own pace; but normally I see you at best once every six weeks or so. This is the third time in a month."

"I'm not sure Maria, but when the day comes that I can answer that question for you, I will. How about you crawl up here now and show me what you've got, baby?"

"With pleasure Anthony, and there will be a lot of pleasure tonight."

**~HCV~**

Isabella has been working for me for three weeks now. Early on, I decided that since I get ninety minutes for lunch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I would spend them with her. I am mostly doing it to make sure she has something to eat. But if I am being completely honest, I find myself enjoying her company as well. I really enjoy working alongside her and find her to be a quick learner. She normally gets things right away, but there have been a couple of times I have had to show her more than once. When I have had to repeat a task, it has never taken her more than three times before she has it mastered. I had her make drinks for the wait staff. She handled it well, but is still very unsure of using the cash register.

At my home she is a lot more open with me, and we have had a few chats mainly about the books she listens to. I know that her brother and sister have some books at home, but Isabella doesn't have any herself. I think that may be the reason that I have caught her looking at my books when she cleans. Her eyes light up and she is always very careful when cleaning around them. Last night I took out one of my favorite books, _A Tale of Two Cities_. I am going to give it to her on Tuesday, since it is her twenty-fourth birthday. I am hoping that she will read it a little at a time. I am sure she will love it.

"Come on people, chop, chop!" I hear Alice from across the room, God she is so loud. "Oh hello, I have a reservation for ten under Mrs. Whitlock." I look over to see Katie, who is the hostess tonight looking at Alice and Rose with a sour look on her face. I sigh and begin to walk over to them.

"Tell Mr. Masen that we are here, and show us to our table," Rose barks out at her. Of course Rose sounds like her typical bitchy self.

Katie looks her up and down. "Edward, oh… I'm sorry Mr. Masen is busy right now, but I will tell him that you asked for him."

Rose goes to bitch again, but I cut her off. "Good evening Rose," I say giving her a peck on the cheek. I hear a gasp coming from Katie, but I dismiss it and give one to Esme, and Alice as well. "Good evening Peter, Charlotte," I say as I politely kiss Charlotte's cheek too. "I will show you to our table now," I say walking away with the menus. I frown as I remember her asking for me to book a table for ten, by my count there are only nine of us. "Here we are, but who is the tenth place for?" I ask, glancing at Alice who is looking quite smug.

"Oh, that would be for me," I hear from behind me along with a giggle. "It's so good to see you again, Edward."

I turn to look behind me, seeing Siobhan standing there. I put on my normal fake smile. "Hello again, Siobhan." I look at Jasper who mouths the word '_sorry_'.

As each of the guys move around the table to pull out the chairs for their worse, I mean other halves. I go to sit, but Alice kicks my leg hard as she passes by, glaring at me. I just glare back and she huffs, pointing to Siobhan. I roll my eyes, but continue to stay in my seat. Alice takes the seat across from me, Esme is seated on my left, and Siobhan is standing on my right. "Good evening," I turn to see Taylor pulling out Siobhan's seat for her. I smirk at Alice and remain seated.

"How have you been, Edward?" Siobhan asks, touching my arm as she speaks.

I count to ten silently and sigh. "I have been well, thank you. Carlisle, can you please change seats with me?" I ask, as I stand up. I feel Alice's foot brush my pants leg as she tries to kick me again, but misses because I move away from the table too fast. I switch seats with Carlisle, and pretend as if it is a normal occurrence.

Alice gets up from her seat and comes over to me. I roll my eyes at her, but the fucking bitch pulls hard on my ear. "Stop being a dick Edward, she is here so you can ask her to the Autumn Ball. Now straighten up and be a good boy. Talk politely to her and use your manners," she sneers into my ear. I look at her as if she has gone nuts, well she is nuts actually. I mean out of the seventy or more times she has done this shit, I have never once talked to any of them.

"Good evening, I'm Taylor. Would you like to order your drinks?" I smirk at Alice as she makes her way back to her seat. We order two bottles of red wine for the table. I order a double whiskey, because I know that I am going to need it. Don't get me wrong, Siobhan is a beautiful woman and has all the right assets in all the right places. She's also a book editor who enjoys reading as much as I do. But I just don't want women in my life, at least not in a romantic way. I don't even think I could be friends with her the way she stares at me. I am not going to be her next meal ticket, or trophy to show off to all her high-end friends.

"Alice, we really need to set up a date to go to get our dresses for the Autumn Ball. I saw one that is to die for, and it will look just amazing on me," Siobhan says, as she leans forward to speak to Alice.

"Oh yes, I love shopping, and I am sure you will look just lovely in any dress you choose. Don't you think so, Edward?"

I take a large swallow of my whiskey and look Siobhan up and down, scrunching my face up in a look that clearly says I could care less. "Hm, yeah, sure I guess. She'll be fine, I'm sure," I say with no enthusiasm. The face I made, and the disdain in my voice is clear and heard louder than my words.

Siobhan just laughs like what I said was funny, not border-line insulting. "Well you looked very dashing in your tuxedo at the Spring Ball. It was such a shame that I didn't get a chance to dance with you. Alice and Esme told me that you are a really great dancer. Maybe this time you and I could... " she insinuates while playing with her hair. One finger goes around the top of her glass, tracing the rim around and around. She keeps looking at me from under her eyelashes while she talks. She is clearly giving me signs that she is aroused and wants to fuck me. Could she be any more obvious?

Well time to put this shit to bed, so I interrupt her before she finishes her erotic display. "I can only assume that you are a delightful woman, but I am not interested in knowing you as anything more than a very remote casual acquaintance. In case you doubt me, I will make this simple and blunt. I have absolutely no intent to take you to the Autumn Ball." Turning my attention to the entire table and without missing a beat I add to everyone else. "Let's order, shall we?" I hear three gasps, along with five muffled laughs. I look up to see Charlotte leaning in to Peter, trying not to laugh out loud. She is a biker chick, who grew up with seven brothers and a single father. She was the youngest and very much one of the guys, and completely in love with Peter. She has on more one occasion seen the shit that Alice does, and openly voiced her disapproval of it.

Siobhan gets the picture and doesn't speak to me again. Alice sits glaring at me throughout the meal; you can plainly see the aggravation and displeasure on her face the entire time. I am more than sure that she has a voodoo doll of me in her home that she'll be stabbing with lots of pins tonight.

I arrive home, taking my clothes off, and head for a bath. I notice that Isabella has placed some of the candles she found in here. I light three of them so that I can turn off the overhead light. I soak in the bath for a while, trying to relax. I really am enjoying these candles; they have a nice scent to them. A scent I am quickly finding to be quite comforting.

**~*HCV*~**

It's now Tuesday, and I am in the kitchen making lunch for Isabella and myself. The last few weeks I have found that if I tell Isabella to do something she will do it without question. But when I ask or give her a choice, she will try to find a way out of it. I don't think that she dislikes spending time with me; it's more her being uncomfortable with people caring for her or giving her things that she can use.

Mrs. Cope got her to take the tapes, because she was only loaning them to her and no one else. I also found out that she gave Isabella a card to use at the library. When I think back to the tape recorder, it's only when I claimed that as her boss I would like her to listen to her books that she took it.

Mrs. Cope had a quick word with me on my first week back, to make sure that I didn't hurt Isabella in any way. I have always thought of Mrs. Cope as a lovely, friendly grandma-type person, but that day she really scared me. She is the one that clued me in how to get around things with Isabella. She also told me that she brings in a Junie B. Jones and Magic Tree House books each week to give to Isabella for Seth and Leah to keep. The strange thing is that she thanks her on behalf of them and accepts them with ease.

I walk down to the basement to invite her up for lunch, knowing she is doing laundry. "Isabella, lunch is ready." She looks at me and nods her head, placing the sheet that she was folding on top of the dryer. I wait until she is a little behind me before walking again; I know that she's more comfortable this way.

"Since today is a special day, I made grilled chicken and buttery, garlic bow tie pasta for lunch."

Isabella frowns at me. "Have I missed a holiday?"

As I turn, I look at her and realize that she has no clue that today is her birthday. "Well no, but today is your birthday," I smile at her. Her face pales and she looks really sad. "Take a seat here," I say as I serve our meal. I place her plate and a bottle of water in front of her. I go back to the counter and pick up her card and the book. "Here you go," I say as I place the card down next to her. She looks at it and frowns. "Open it, please."

Slowly she picks it up and opens it. With a thoughtful look on her face, she looks at the front and the inside of the card. "Thank you Mr. Masen, it's very pretty." She smiles at me, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"It's only a card, Isabella." She nods her head, still stroking the front of it. I clear my throat, unsure of what to make of this. "So you're twenty-four today, is that right?" I ask, already knowing the answer, but hoping to get her to stop looking at the card as if it is a diamond necklace.

"Yes Mr. Masen," she looks down as she speaks hesitantly.

It's clear that I need to get away from talking about her birthday. I decide that this is as good as any moment to give her the book. "I would like you to borrow this; it is one of my favorite books. As a teenager I loved it, and even now as an adult I am still very fond of it. Don't worry about hurrying through it, even if you read a little a time I am in no hurry to get it back. I have another three copies in this house alone. I would like to talk to you as you read it, to see what your thoughts are on it and how well you like it." As I push the book over to her, she bites her lip.

"Sir, I don't think I can do that really, I… uh… it's yours, I don't want it to get ruined."

I shake my head at her. "Isabella, I want you to read this." I raise my eyebrow, hoping this will put an end to this conversation. It is really odd that she is so against reading a book that I want to share with her. This girl is so strange.

"But Sir, you see, I can't talk to you about it, because I won't be able to read it."

I rub the side of my head, and take a deep breath. "Then you're going to have to give me good reason why not Isabella. I can make this part of your job," I say, struggling to get the last word out.

Isabella's face get really pale and she begins shaking. "My reading isn't very good, Sir."

I chuckle and some of the worry is leaving me as I realize she is afraid to disappoint me. "Isabella that's fine, I can help you with words you can't get. I will even give you a little dictionary, so you can see the meaning of the words you don't know. There are always ways around understanding and I will gladly help you."

Isabella is still looking down, and I notice she is turning red with embarrassment. "I think I may have misled you when I said my reading isn't very good. What I meant to say is I can't read, not even a little bit. I have never learned," her voice is so quiet. As quiet as it is, I hear each and every word. To say I am in shock by her statement is not far from the truth at all. I close my eyes and I see flashbacks in my head. Her lack of input when I was going over her forms for work. The note she ignored about cleaning my white boards and the one over the broken socket in my classroom. Her being obsessed with the care and concern for my books, her always listening to books on tape instead of reading them. It all makes sense now, but how did she ever make it to twenty-four without learning to read? How did no one notice, how did I miss it? How did she ever pass the state testing in school? Did some jackasses just pass her through and sweep her under a rug? "Wait, you can't read anything, there no words that you can read and understand?"

She looks at me, shaking her head. "No nothing at all." I shake my head. I watch her as her hand goes slowly across the top of the card again. It's strange, but the way she's looking at it, is as if she has won the lottery. I watch her as she takes a deep breath and she lets out a small sigh. "I understand if you feel the need to let me go, Sir."

Pain shoots through my chest as I look at her. "What? No Isabella, I didn't say that. I am just confused; didn't you get help with your reading at school?" She shakes her head. "Isabella, I am not letting you go, but we need to talk about this. You have to help me understand. I would like you to tell me the truth. If you don't want to answer a question then tell me, just don't lie to me that is one thing I can't forgive."

She bites her lip and looks back at me. "My mom and dad moved a lot because of their jobs. We were never in a place for longer than three months; sometimes it was longer, but never more than ten months. I didn't know what school was or that I was supposed to go as a child. Zafrina told me about it when Seth and Leah were four, she helped me get them into kindergarten at the school they attend now." What the fuck, her parents never sent her to school? Shit, maybe she was home-schooled?

"Did your mom and dad teach you at home, were you home-schooled?"

She frowns. "My mom showed me how to clean, how to use the oven, and washing machine. My dad made sure I knew how to deal with money, because I had to pay people for things when they were gone."

I am sure my face is pale at how someone could do that to a child? "Where are your parents now, Isabella?"

A small tear runs down her face. "My dad passed away, and my mom went away on a business trip. She promised that she would be back as soon as she could. She said that I was to look after the twins, because I owed her. I owed her because she let me stay after my dad died."

Shit, why the fuck would you say that to your daughter? "I don't get what you mean. Why would she not keep you? You're her daughter, and that is a part of having children."

Isabella shakes her head at me. "My dad was bad, and they were having a hard time. And my mom, my first mom," she says stopping to think and to scratch her head. "I don't remember her, but I lived with her for a little bit. When my first mom died, I was sent to live with my dad. My mom let me stay, even when I started to look like my first mom. She said that it hurts to look at me, but she couldn't let me live on the street, so she let my stay. She told me all the time, how my first mom tricked my dad and that is how I was born. I owe her, and I love Seth and Leah. I would look after them even if she didn't ask." Why the hell did everything she just said sound so fucking wrong?

As I look at her she is shaking and clearly upset, but she doesn't let any more tears fall. I want to know so much more, did they beat her? Is that why she hates being touched? When did her so-called mother leave? How did her dad die, but I know I need to stop for today. I wish I could get back to when she was happy, just after I give her the card. Why did I have to give her that stupid fucking book? I look at her and she is still looking at the card, tracing the top with her finger.

_She picks things up easily at Midnight Sun. I bet I could teach her to read. I know I can I could do an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays. _I smile at the thought. "Isabella," she looks at me. "I would like to teach you to read, would you like that?"

Her eyes light up for a split second. "Mr. Masen I don't have any money that I could pay you. I think I am too old to learn anyway. I tried to learn when Seth and Leah first went to school, I just couldn't get it."

"Isabella I wouldn't ask you to pay me any money, I enjoy teaching. I would very much like to help you. Let me try; give me four weeks. If you still can't get it then we will stop, but if you do then you have to start calling me Edward. Does that sound like a good deal to you; will you let me teach you to read?"

She bites her lip then nods in agreement. "I would like that, Mr. Masen. Would you read the card to me, please?"

"Thanks for letting me help you. I will read the card to you, but before we read anything, you need to eat." I smile and begin eating, watching as she picks up her fork and begins to eat her lunch. I am slowly starting to see the real Isabella hidden behind her carefully constructed walls.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay everyone, we cannot wait to hear your thoughts on Edward now. Did he pass your test on remaining calm during disturbing news? Did you enjoy Jasper putting Edward in his place? I loved having Jasper pop the back of Edward's head, poor Emmett seems to get the brain damage normally. So what are your thoughts on Alice? **

**We are both very pleased with the turnout of support for this story, and we hope to continue to make you all feel happy enough to leave us some love. Remember those of you who do leave us a review, get a teaser for the next chapter! YAY!**

**On a side note, we are in need of a back-up BETA, our beloved Mel is going to be taking a little break for some real life issues, and we don't want to get behind in our posting. If you are interested and are willing to help please contact Kasi at teamalltwilight at gmail dot com**

**Thanks everyone, as long as we get chapter 9 beta'd you will have it next Thursday.**

**Kasi~ (&Nikky)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All actual Twilight things belong to Stephenie Meyer, this story line and a few original characters belong to us. Please by all means, write your own stuff and don't steal ours. A huge thank you goes out to: Jess2002, ****Aurellacullen FFN/Aylacullen TWCS, ****MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, toocute24, and Sarah… These girls are one awesome group of ladies to work with. Any mistakes in the final wrap belong to us. Thanks, Kasi and Nikky.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Doctor, Mall, and Names<strong>

After Isabella spoke a little about her upbringing, or lack thereof, I felt this overwhelming desire to help her out more. I have been writing out an action plan to assist me with teaching her to read. One of the first things I will need to do is to get her eyes tested. With this in mind, I give Carlisle a call and inform him about Isabella; he is very surprised that I have hired her. After recovering from shock, he agrees to help us out.

Carlisle schedules her for an appointment late Thursday morning. I ask him to do some blood work and a general physical check as well. All my staff receives yearly physicals, and I'm sure that she will not pick up any misgivings on my part.

Carlisle has also scheduled an appointment for Isabella with his dear friend, and my own personal ophthalmologist, Dr. Benjamin Nile.

I arrive at Midnight Sun at nine o'clock; we need to be out the door as soon as she gets in. I have found that Isabella has the ability to blend in well with her surroundings. On more than one occasion, I have been unable to find her, and in the end I've had to shout her name only to have her appear out of thin air beside me. One of these days she will give me that heart attack I thought I was experiencing. I look at my watch to find that it's twenty past nine, I head to the main door just as Isabella is about to enter. I can always set my watch by her.

"Good morning, Mr. Masen." She gives me a proper smile and steps to the side to let me out.

"Yes, it is a nice morning Isabella, come with me." I wave my hand in front of myself. She looks at me curiously, causing me to raise my eyebrow at her. I smile warmly and motion for her to walk with me; she turns and begins walking as do I.

"Mr. Masen, I don't mean to be rude… but where are we going? Do you need me to work at your house today?"

I shake my head as we continue walking. "No Isabella, as you know all my employees have to have a medical health check. I am accompanying you to yours." We stop walking when we arrive at the bus stop. I glance at Isabella who is noticeably upset.

"Mr. Masen, I didn't bring any money with me. I'm sorry; I can't afford to have a medical check." I frown as I observe that there is something in her expression that tells me that it's not just money she is worried about. I look up to see the bus coming to a stop beside us.

Getting on, I lead her to the seats at the back, motioning for her to sit. I sit next to her, leaving a little room between us. "Isabella, I set up a medical plan for each of my staff members, including you. Your medical exam is a part of that so you don't need to worry about payment." I'm not really lying, more like stretching the truth a little. "I know that you don't like people being close to you that you haven't met; for that reason I'm taking you to see a dear friend of mine." I smile thinking about how to explain Carlisle. "His name is Carlisle and he is… I guess you could say that he is like a father figure to me. He's a very compassionate man, and has an amazing ability to relax the people around him. He will not hurt you, I promise. I would never allow him, or anyone else for that matter, to hurt you." I didn't really mean for what I said at the end to come out, but as I looked into her eyes, my brain could not prevent my thoughts from being spoken. She looks me right in the eye, lingering longer than she usually does. I observe her reaction and notice her bite her lip, as she nods her head.

"Will you stay with me the whole time Mr. Masen?" she asks timidly, as her eyes fall to the floor.

Without thinking, my hand moves to the underside of her chin, gently lifting it up so that she can look at me. I feel small sparks on the tips of my fingers as I keep my fingers against her skin. They were the same comforting sparks I felt the night of my panic attack. I dismiss it quickly before I speak. "I will stay with you, if that's what you want. This needs to be your choice Isabella. I know that I have been ordering you around a lot lately; but this time, it is solely your decision. If you wish for me to stay in the room with you, then I will. If you want me to leave, then I'll stay just outside the door. This is all about you, and what you want."

As she looks towards me, I could feel her shaking a little, but she never pulls her face away from my hand. "I would like you to stay in the room please, Mr. Masen." I nod my head as I let her face go.

The remaining bus journey is quiet. I spend the time watching her from the corner of my eye, observing her as she looks out of the window. I begin thinking about all that I have learned over the past few weeks regarding Isabella Swan. She is an incredibly smart girl, who was not allowed an education. She cares deeply for her siblings, and feels that they are all she has in the world. No matter how much I ruminate on the things I have learned, I can only imagine the truth that is yet to be revealed. I hope beyond all of my being, that those truths don't physically break her; or me for that matter. I struggle with my perception of what she has been put through in her twenty-four years of life.

We arrive at the hospital, and I find myself walking next to Isabella with my hand at the base of her back as I guide her towards Carlisle's office. Although I did not have my hand on her skin, it was close enough that I could feel the sparks again. "Good morning Edward," Carlisle says, standing as we enter his office. He smiles at me, then towards Isabella. "And this must be Isabella." He holds out his hand for her to shake. She looks to me, and I nod.

I watch her shake his hand, and much like with Taylor, she only takes his hand lightly. "It's nice to meet you Dr. Carlisle."

Carlisle shakes his head at her. "Just Carlisle; please take a seat." Isabella sits down on the seat that Carlisle points to. "Edward, could you step out so that I can go through her medical history with her?"

"No," Isabella shouts as she jumps up quickly, moving to the door as she does.

"Isabella calm down, it's okay, I promise," I tell her.

She is visibly shaking at this point and looks to me, pleading with her eyes. "You… you said that you wouldn't… that you would stay with me." The hurt in her eyes is intense.

"Isabella, I am not going to leave you, okay. Come back and sit down. Carlisle was not aware that you wanted me to stay. It will all be fine, I promise."

She glances at me then towards Carlisle who is still standing at his desk, observing her with a frown on his face. "That's correct Isabella; Edward can stay if you want him to."

She bites her lip and blushes as she stares at the floor. "I am sorry I was rude to your friend Mr. Masen." She moves a bit as she speaks, slowly calming down from her agitated state.

"Isabella, you were not rude; it's fine really. I should have told Carlisle that you had asked me to stay."

Carlisle walks behind his desk and grabs his chair, bringing it with him back around to the table. "Okay Isabella, how about we get the easy stuff completed first, alright? What is your full name?"

Isabella looks to me again and I nod my head. She clears her throat. "Isabella Marie Swan."

Carlisle smiles; you can see that she tries to return his smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Date of birth?" he asks, looking up from his papers as he speaks with her.

"The thirteenth of September."

Carlisle looks to her questioningly. "And what year was that?"

She begins to shake again, and it's clear that she is uncomfortable speaking; so I answer the year for her. "1987."

She nods her head a little to confirm this and closes her eyes. "Home address?"

Again she doesn't reply, so I answer again. "202 Washington Avenue, aptartment. 3C."

"Washington Avenue?" Carlisle repeats questioningly, and again she nods at him. "Do you know your parents' given names?"

She looks at me and again clears her throat. "I think my first mom was called Rain, Rennin, or something like that. I don't know what her last name was. My dad was called Charlie Swan, and my second mom is called Sue Swan." Carlisle nods as he writes all the information down on the file he has started for her.

"Do you know what childhood illnesses you may have had?" She shakes her head. "Do you know of any illnesses that run in your family?"

She looks down again, and I can see that she is having a hard time. "My first mom; she was really sick, but I don't know why. I remember a little more about her, and I was talking to Mr. Masen about her. I don't remember what she looked like, but I know her hair was brown like mine. I remember that all her hair fell out when she was sick and she saw a doctor a lot before she died." I look at her and then glance at Carlisle; it almost sounds like her mom had cancer.

"When was the last time you saw a doctor?"

She frowns looking towards the floor again. "I saw one after… after I was hurt; they said I had to see one." I look to Carlisle who I know is looking straight at Isabella. Her breath has increased, and she has closed her eyes. Her whole body is shaking now.

I move off the chair and crouch in front of her. "Isabella, just breathe, you're okay I promise; you will be okay. Can you tell us what you're talking about, who hurt you?" There is a part of me that does not want to hear what she is going to say, because if she says that her bitch of so called step-mother hurt her, then I will track her down and kill her myself. As for that piece of shit of a father, I will dig the bastard up and smash his bones to pieces.

"I was in the car, they were taking me out. I got to look out the window, and I loved it; but then there was a loud noise. I remember I fell to the side, and the noises were so loud. I only closed my eyes for a few minutes and when they opened again my mom and dad were gone. I couldn't move… and, the car was so warm. I didn't like it, there was smoke too… and, it burned to breathe. I could hear mom screaming that I was in the car, but couldn't move. Then this man grabbed me, and when I woke up, there was some rescue guy looking me over. I didn't know who he was then, and he said that he had to take me to the hospital. I didn't want to go and I told them… but they didn't listen. They jabbed me with something and I closed my eyes again; when I woke up I was in a bed. There was a man there and he said that he was a doctor, and he was talking to mom and dad. He said that he wanted me to stay for a few days... but I wanted to go home. I didn't want them to forget me because we were moving soon. The man said I had to calm down, or he would put me back to sleep. I was bad and didn't listen, so he tied my arms and my legs down; I felt a jab again on my leg and I feel asleep. All I remember was that it all hurt so very badly," Isabella says as her body shakes vigorously now. I sigh closing my eyes, no wonder she hates cars; not to mention her fear of doctor.

"Isabella, do you remember how old you were?" She looks at Carlisle as he speaks.

"I think I was six or seven?" She makes it sound like a question.

"Do you remember seeing a doctor at any other time?" She shakes her head at him. He clears his throat to compose himself before she can see it. "Are you sexually active?"

I frown at him, and he rolls his eyes, looking back at Isabella.

"Do you mean like… be with a man in the bedroom?"

Carlisle looks at me then back at her. "In a way yes, have you been with a man, or even another woman in an intimate way? Has anyone ever touched you on your breasts, or down below?"

Isabella shakes her head. "No," she says very clearly.

"What is your menstruation cycle like?"

Isabella looks at Carlisle and frowns. "I am sorry; I don't know for sure what you're talking about."

Carlisle sighs, and puts down his pen. "Sorry Isabella; I am still in doctor talk mode. Do you have time during the month where you bleed from your vagina?" As he asks, he also points to the general area on himself.

I see that Isabella is blushing rather red, but she takes a breath and answers. "Mrs. Cope said that I was not to talk to men about things like that, she says it isn't proper."

Carlisle chuckles a little. "Isabella, I am sure Mrs. Cope meant well when she told you that, and she is right, but I am a doctor and it's important for me to know these things."

She bites her lip, and nods her head. "I get one about every other month for around four days."

He nods his head, as he writes more down on her chart. "Do you remember when they began?"

Isabella looks to the floor. "It was five years ago. I was working at the college, and the people there were all dressed up. I didn't know what was happening, and Mrs. Cope talked to me about it and helped me get cleaned up. That was the first time I met her. It was the next day when Mr. Marcus asked me how I was getting on and I told him what happened the day before. That's when Mrs. Cope told me that females are not meant to speak to men about those things." Carlisle smiles at her and nods his head. I hold back a chuckle at the thought of her talking to Marcus about starting her period, he must have loved that.

"Okay. Now I need to do a few measurements. Step over here so I can measure your weight and height Isabella. Go ahead and remove your jacket and shoes please?" She nods her head and removes them. He directs her to the height chart first. "Sixty-two inches, so you're five foot and two inches." He gives her a smile, and takes her over to the scales. "You weigh ninety-one pounds." He frowns at how little she weighs. Fuck, I really need to start feeding her more.

"Isabella, I need you to change into the gown that is sitting on the examination bed for me." Isabella picks up the gown, looking at me. I look back at her, and her eyes fall to the floor.

Her hands go up to her top buttons, and I know that the words Carlisle used sound as if he is telling her to do it now. As she will not question this, she has no hesitation to change right here and now, even if she is uncomfortable; and that is making me uncomfortable.

"Isabella, Carlisle and I will step out so that you can change, just like I did, when we were at Midnight Sun and you changed into your new uniform. We will knock on the door in a few minutes; and if you're done, then tell us and we can come back in." Her hands stop at the top of her shirt, nodding her head slowly. Carlisle and I walk out, shutting the door behind us.

I sigh rubbing my face. "Well, what are you thinking?" I ask, looking at him; clearly seeing that he's worried about her.

"There's clearly enough evidence to show a lack of education. I used a great deal of commonly-used words that she should have recognized; she clearly didn't understand what those words meant. Going back to what she said of her birth mother, I would say that there is a large chance she died from cancer. There could be a possibility that there were other causes, but with what she remembers and what I interpreted, I would guess cancer. Isabella is clearly underweight, and will need to put on at least seven pounds; which will still put her on the light end of the scale for her height. I would really prefer to see her put on fourteen pounds. She has had a traumatic experience with a car crash; which I am taking was the first time you heard of it?" I nod my head at him in agreement. "If this is the only time she remembers seeing a doctor, then this would add to her fear of being here and explains why she almost ran out of my room. She may have experienced some form of abuse, but I am not sure if it is emotional, mental, physical, or sexual abuse. I couldn't tell you for sure, I will not rule out sexual abuse, or a combination of a few. Maybe even all of them. I am rather concerned about her lack of knowledge on certain things. For a twenty-four year old, she has a very inept lack of understanding in regards to sexual activity." I pull at my hair. Carlisle looks to the floor, and has put a mask on his face so I am no longer able to read him. "Are you sure the mother is not in the picture anymore?"

Again I nod my head at him. "I am sure. She has a brother and sister that she is now raising alone. What are you thinking Carlisle?"

He sighs looking at me. "I may have no choice, Edward." _Fuck no he can't!_

"You can't involve child services; she looks after them very well, I swear. I have seen them, they are fine. They look even healthier than her, you can't do that!"

He holds up his hands in surrender. "Edward, I have a code of ethics to which I am bound to honor. If I feel that a minor is in danger, I need to report it. If this woman has lived through abuse, do you want the same for them?"

I pull at my hair more. "No, she wouldn't let that happen. Please, I will watch over them, I promise. And the babysitter lives next door to her and the kids. I will talk to her and make sure she calls me at the first sign of that bitch of a mother returning. Please don't do this. I don't know her that well, but I do know that it would kill her if they take those kids away from her. She is trying her best, please. Those kids don't go without anything." I am just about on my knees begging him.

"You really care about her, don't you?"

I half shake and half nod my head, making myself feel dizzy. "I don't know, I just… she helped me. When I had that first panic attack, it was her that helped me. I was so mean to her after that; but when I had the second one, she helped me again. There is just something that I see when I look into her eyes. Please, I think… I think I could be good for her… a good friend to her."

He looks at me and sighs. "It's a good thing that I don't know about the children then." I let out a long sigh and mouth '_thank you'_ to him. "But Edward, if I feel that they're in any danger, I will make the call." I nod my head at him.

He knocks on the door and Isabella tells us to come in. "How about we start with something easy? First, let's take your temperature and blood pressure." I watch as he uses the forehead scanner to read her temp, then jots down the readings on her file. I see him wrap a large cuff around her arm, and then place the stethoscope on the inside of her elbow as he begins to inflate the cuff. I note that Isabella watches everything he does carefully. Carlisle checks her reflexes and examines her ears, nose, and throat. He does one of the most complete physicals that I have ever been a witness to.

"Isabella, I need you to lie flat on the bed for me. I need to check your breasts; it is a typical examination that all females should have done yearly. Since I highly suspect that your birth mother may have died from cancer, I want to do a full and thorough examination to be sure that you're completely healthy." She looks at him and gives him a little nod. "I'll just pull the curtain around to block the view and give you privacy. Edward will still be in the room, but on the other side of the curtain."

This time she begins to shake a little, and I move my chair in line with where her head is. I move the curtain a little, so when she turns her head towards me, she can clearly see me. She immediately looks towards me, as if she knows I am here. I give her a little smile before I close my eyes to give her privacy; waiting for this part to be over. "Okay, I need you to place this arm up over your head; well done… Okay now this arm please… good girl. There you go; you can put your arm back down now. Okay, now we got you all covered back up, I do have another test I need to perform." I open my eyes and see that she is looking at me, and she is rather scared. I smile to reassure her that I am here. "Okay Isabella, since you have never been to the doctor as an adult, I need to do a pelvic examination. It only takes a few minutes, and will be over quickly if you are able to relax. What I will need to do is take this very small tool; it is called a speculum and I will insert it below, into your vagina. It will not be comfortable, but it will not hurt you. It will allow me to do a pap smear. I will take a few swabs and I can test them to be sure that you do not have any of the typical cancers that strike women." I glance over to her, and she bites her lip while she is nodding her head. While Carlisle gets his things, I smile to her and she slightly smiles back. "Okay, I need you to place your legs like this." I hear him walking around; and sit on the stool he uses. "I will try and be quick. Okay Isabella, take a nice deep breath, and stay calm and relaxed." I hear Isabella gasp and I turn my head to look at her. She has her eyes closed and is gripping the edge of the bed. "Isabella I know it's uncomfortable, but I need you to relax a little. The more that you tense up, the worse it is. There we go, good girl it's almost over."

"Well done," he says as I hear him put items into the wash basin. I lean back on the chair, and see him putting her legs back down. I open the curtain and glance at him, hoping that he will tell me that she has not been sexually abused. "Isabella you did well, are you feeling okay?" She nods as she sits up and looks at me. "Finally, I need to take some blood and give you an injection to help prevent HPV which is short for the Human Papillomavirus. This virus can increase your risk of developing cervical cancer if you contract it. I will give you all kinds of pamphlets to read over about the prevention of HPV. I can see that you haven't been sexually active, so therefore I feel it is in your best interest to have the injections. You will need to come back for two more, but it will be covered under your health plan," Carlisle says looking at me. Isabella nods her head in agreement as if she will allow anything at this point. It worries me, but I know Carlisle will not hurt her. Carlisle takes blood to run a full screening test on her, and then explained that he would call on Tuesday to give her the results.

Wait, hasn't been sexually active? Was that Carlisle's way of saying that Isabella was a virgin? At twenty-four! Impossible! What the hell, that is just unheard of, unless the woman lives in a fucking convent. Then suddenly I remember Aro's words, when he mentioned that she was willing to sell her virginity, whoa.

I am brought out of my mental rambling by the sound of Carlisle's voice. "Well done Isabella, here would you like a lollipop?" he asks holding out the jar, and she takes one with a thank you. I grab one before he can put the jar away. "Edward… you and that sweet tooth of yours, I swear. You weren't even seen today, and I'm not sure you've been a good boy." I laugh at him as I put the lollipop in my mouth, fighting the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

I glance at Isabella who is looking at the lollipop. "Have you ever had a lollipop before?" I ask her, and she shakes her head no. "Well you're in for a real treat," I say enthusiastically as I remove the wrapper and hand it back to her. "Put it in your mouth, and close your lips around it. If you slide your tongue across it, you will enjoy the flavor." I hear Carlisle chuckle at what I said; the fucker has one dirty mind. I am sure my comment went straight to the gutter. I roll my eyes at him, but watch Isabella follow what I instructed. I smile brightly when her eyes light up.

"Mmm… this is very nice, thank you Carlisle. Now I know why Seth and Leah are always asking for these." I smile at her, nodding my head.

"Well then, you better take some home for them as well." I look at Carlisle who now has a shit eating grin on his face as he hands her half the jar of lollipops; she is literally like a kid in a candy store.

"Isabella, I would like you to come by a week from Friday with Seth and Leah after school. I would like to give them a quick physical just to check that they have all their immunizations up to date, it won't take as long as your appointment did." She bites her lip and I can tell she is nervous. "If it eases your mind, I once worked with children; though I have not had a child as a patient in a long time. There is no charge for me to see them as it's all covered by the medical insurance that Edward has for you." She nods her head, and I give him the '_what the __fuck'_ look. "You go ahead and get changed so Edward can get over to see Dr. Ben. You will like him, he is very nice," Carlisle says with a smile. We step out of the room, and I wait by the door as Carlisle takes a call he was paged for.

The door opens and Bella smiles at me. "Well Isabella, we better get you over to Ben's office before we're late. Carlisle, I'll see you later," I say. Isabella gives him a genuine smile and waves as we leave. I turn, giving him one last look and he mouths '_call me later_,' I nod my head at him.

"Would you like some of the lollipops, Mr. Masen?"

I look at her and I am reminded at just how innocent she is. "That's okay Isabella, take them home and share them with Seth and Leah. I am pretty sure that they would love them."

She nods her head with a smile. "Yeah they would; but there are a lot here. Some lady who came to their kindergarten class one time said that things like these were bad for their teeth. She told me they are only to have them now and again. I know if I have all of these, they will just eat them all. Please take some," she says. I nod my head at her as she hands me half of what Carlisle gave her.

"Thank you Isabella, I will put these in a jar at the house and we can share them there."

She smiles at me. "Okay, you're welcome".

We keep walking until we get to Ben's office. This time it is all new for her, as Isabella has never been through an eye examination. Ben is very patient with her as she follows his directions. He even gives her the child exam, using pictures instead of the alphabet. Her vision is not bad, but she does have astigmatism. He informs her that she will need to wear glasses, and she begins to look worried. He gives us her prescription for the corrective lenses and informs us of a place at the mall that can make new glasses in an hour. He shakes my hand, and tells Isabella she did well.

"Now we need to go to the mall to get your glasses, and pick up some supplies so that I can begin your reading lessons." She smiles, nodding her head at me. We again get on the bus, sitting in the very back seat. The bus is a little more crowded this time. Isabella again sits near the window, and I have to sit a little closer to her than usual. I am happy to notice that it doesn't scare her as it previously did when I was in close contact with her. As we got off the bus at the mall, I realize that I have caught the bus more times in the past few weeks than I ever have in the past.

"We should go and hand this in first so that you should be able to receive your glasses today. You will have to pick out frames, but don't worry about the cost as the medical insurance will cover glasses too." I guide her into the one hour vision center. A woman approaches us and asks if we need help, then begins to show Isabella the frames that would best suit her face. On the sly, I mouth to the woman that cost is of no concern. Isabella is a bit hesitant to try on the different frames, so I began to try them on causing her giggling, which sounded like music to my ears. This leads to her picking out frames for me to try on. After a little while of me carrying on wearing the female frames which Isabella said suited me, she relaxed enough to try some on herself. I ended up purchasing her a pair of Tag Heuer C-Flex 0701, they were one of the higher-end frames in stock, but they really suited her face. Isabella saw the price tag and I thought it would be war, but she relented when I told her the frames were covered by the insurance. Isabella looked to the sales lady, who thankfully confirmed my statement. Isabella caved to the idea and agreed to the frames. As it would be an hour before the glasses were ready, I figure we can get our other shopping done and then return to collect them.

"I'm starving and need to eat something. I'm thinking we should go get something to eat now; we have to wait an hour anyway. Plus, I also need food to take with these tablets the doctors have prescribed for me; I am unable to take them on an empty stomach. After we eat lunch, we can go and get the supplies we need for your lessons. Then we will return to pick up your glasses, before heading out. How does that sound?" I ask, hoping that she will agree since I listed off so much. I knew putting things she wants with the things I know she would be apprehensive about would work in my favor. I guide her to the food court area of the mall, figuring that she would not go for an actual sit down restaurant meal. After having lunch with Isabella these past few weeks, I have picked up a great deal on her likes and dislikes. I know if I don't order for her, she will get just a bottle of water. I see a 'Sub Shoppe' and deciding that this would by our best option; I don't ask her what she wants, I just order for her.

"I would like one and a half foot-long sandwiches with grilled chicken, provolone cheese, lettuce, and honey mustard sauce on cheese bread. I also need a foot-long with meatball marinara, provolone cheese, lettuce on whole grain wheat, toasted. I will also take two bottles of water, two chocolate shakes, and two of those blueberry muffins please." The woman behind the counter gives me a strange look, before setting off to do what I ordered. I pay the total and take the tray to where Isabella is sitting and waiting for me.

"Here is a chicken sandwich all for you, and a bottle of water." I place them in front of her, only giving her a six inch sub.

"Thank you, Mr. Masen," she says giving me a shy smile looking down at her sub.

"I want you to eat it all, or no muffin for you."

She looks at me shocked, but has a hint of a smile. "Muffin? You got me a muffin?" I nod my head as I take a bite of my first sub. "I love muffins, they're my favorite food. I buy them for Seth and Leah on Sundays after church."

I take a drink of water as I look towards her. "Don't you get one for yourself on Sundays too?"

She shakes her head. "No; I really love them, so I would eat hundreds of them at one time if I could. I buy myself one every now and then," she says with a shrug and starts eating her sub.

"I got you another special treat too. It is a chocolate milkshake; I really want you to try it." I hand the shake to Isabella and observe as she tries it.

Her face lights up and it is clear from the look on her face that she has never tried one before. "Wow, this really is good. Seth and Leah told me they were. They tried one at kindergarten once and have liked them ever since. Now I know why. I never knew how good these were, thank you." I give her a smile and continue to eat.

Isabella eats her whole sub in the time it takes me to eat both of mine. I even ate the second one slower so she wouldn't be eating alone. I was worried that it may have been too much for her to eat, but she did not have any difficulty doing so. "Well, I think that you deserve this muffin," I say handing it over to her. Again her face lit up and I watch her as she ate the muffin. The whole time she is eating, she seems really happy, she really does love muffins.

Once we both are done, we head over to the teacher-supply store. Grabbing a basket as we enter, Isabella follows me around. I pick up note pads, tracing paper, wide-lined writing paper, pencils, erasers, colored pencils, index cards, markers, workbooks, and all the things that I will need to teach her. We then go to Barnes and Noble book store so that I can pick up the set of _Dick and Jane_ books I ordered. While we are in here, I show her the books I know she has listened to. I point out the book showing her the cover. "This one is _Romeo and Juliet."_

I watch the look of awe spread across her face as she gently takes the book in her hand, looking at it. "I like the picture, it's very nice. Do… do you think that maybe I could read a book like this someday?" she asks looking up at me, the hope clear in her eyes is so encouraging for me.

"Yes, Isabella, I think you will. I remember I was in high school when I first read this book. I used to think it was a book only for girls, but we also had to watch the movie as well. After I saw the movie, it inspired me to read it, and I am glad that I did."

I look towards her and she looks at me in awe. "They made this book into a movie?"

I nod my head. "Yes, there are many books you will read that have been made into big screen productions."

She stands there looking at me then around herself. "What is a big screen production?"

_Fucking hell__ not__ another thing she has missed out on_.

I shake my head. "Yeah, like at the cinema, the movies they show in the theater. Those are all shown on the big screen. Before you can buy a movie to watch at home, it is shown in a movie theater and they show it on a big screen. Do you… have a TV at home?"

She nods her head really pleased. "Yes, I save the money that I make when I draw at the park. I used it once when I bought one and a DVD player too. I got it for Seth and Leah to watch cartoons when I make their dinner. Zafrina gets channels on her TV, but we don't. Aro says that cable is free with my apartment, but I know he is already giving me more for the little I give him in rent. So I buy a new DVD once a month for them to watch. I plan on doing some drawing this weekend as Zafrina says it is supposed to be nice outside. Seth and Leah really want the new one where the girl has long blond hair, and a pet lizard. They think it will be fun, because we have one too."

I chuckle at her obvious excitement over buying the TV, and I run through what she just said. "You have a pet lizard?"

She nods again. "Well, it was mom's, one of her friends gave it to her, and Seth and Leah loved it. It was so funny when they chased him around the floor, so she said they could have it." She frowns a little. "Jake is a lot bigger now, and I think he needs a friend because he is always trying to cuddle up to and lay on Leah's pink teddy bear. I tried telling him that it's a toy, but he won't listen and just sticks his tongue out at me." I chuckle and she smiles at me.

While we were talking, we managed to check out at the book store and have started walking down the mall. I look ahead and see the video store. "Hey, come in here with me," I say, griping her hand and pulling her along with me into the video store.

"What are we doing, where are we going?" she asks.

I smile at her as I go to the classics section. "I am going to help you out; these will help you understand the stories better. This is all about helping with your learning." I pick up _Romeo and Juliet_, _Pride and Prejudice_, and a few others. "I need to find one more," I say still holding her hand. I pull her again over to the kids section. I pick up _Tangled_, the movie Seth and Leah wanted. Turning around, _Beauty and the Beast _also catches my eye, so I pick that up as well. I pay for everything and lead her back out of the shop. "These are for you to watch, they are the movies of all the books that I know you have listened too. This one," I say holding _Tangled_. "I wanted to buy to give to Seth and Leah." I put all the movies back in the bag and hand it to her.

She is again biting her lip, but I know it is a reflex now more than fear. "Thank you, Mr. Masen"

I frown at her still calling me Mr. Masen. "Isabella, I know that we had a deal, but… " I stop talking and rub the back of my neck. "I would really like it if you could call me Edward. I really hate hearing you call me Mr. Masen all the time. You are much more than an employee to me."

She looks at the bag and the other bags around us before looking back at my face. I give her my best puppy dog eyes and sad face. To my surprise she bursts out laughing at me when I do.

"Hey, you were supposed to feel sorry for me."

She bites her lip again, and this time I can tell it is to hold in her laughter. "Can I call you Ed, like your friend does?"

I growl out loudly, and inside my head I shout fuck no, Emmie calling me that is bad enough. "Yes… if you like. I guess it is much better than Mr. Masen."

She smiles at me. As I look at her, I realize that today is the first time she has smiled so freely and frequently. It makes me even happier, so I smile back at her. "I am sorry, but I don't think I can call you Ed." My face falls, but I nod my head at her. "It just doesn't suit you very well, but I will try and call you Edward. I may slip sometimes and still call you Mr. Masen."

"I can live with that, thank you Isabella." She stops and glances at me. "Is there something wrong?"

She nods her head. "If I am to call you Edward, can you call me Bella? I liked it when you called me Bella at the park, when you saved me." Her voice got quieter towards the end, but I heard her clearly. I pull her over to the bench, and guide her to sit down beside me.

"I am really sorry for the way I acted after that day, I really am. I would like to call you Bella again, and I promise not to change my mind without discussing things with you." She smiles and gives me a nod. I clear my throat and look at my watch, seeing it is just about three. "You pick Seth and Leah up at four-thirty today, right?"

She nods her head. "Yes, they have club group today, they're learning basketball."

"Okay, we need to go and collect your glasses before we head off then." She nods her head, and walks beside me as we head back to get them. The woman needed to make a few minor adjustments to the frames to ensure they fit her better. I pay for them while they are doing this, knowing that Bella is none the wiser. We take the bus back, getting off at Midnight Sun.

"I'll let you get off here Bella," I say smiling at her. Yeah I really do prefer calling her Bella; I begin to push the door open.

"Mr. Mas… Edward," I hear her say and feel her hand grab mine. I look down at our joined hands as I feel those sparks return. "Thank you, for helping me, with the reading and stuff. I want you to know that I had a REALLY good time today. My second best day… ever. Thank you."

I look at her feeling unsure and upset that this has been only the second best day of her life. "Second best day?" I ask questioningly, and then decide to lighten it into more of a joke, raising my eyebrows at her.

"Yes, the best day of my life is when I met Seth and Leah. I love them both the same, so even though I met them on different days, to me they share the best day ever for me."

I grin at her. "Just so you know, this has been the best day of shopping I have had in a long, long time. So, thank you Bella."

Bella blushes and nods her head. "I will see you tomorrow Mr. Masen… I'm sorry; I mean Edward. Have a good evening," she says smiling as she begins walking away.

"You too, Bella," I reply with a smile. I watch her walking away, feeling sad that our time together has come to an end.

**~*HVC*~ **

It is late in the evening now and I decide to give Carlisle a call to ask about what he was playing at, when he asked to see Seth and Leah.

"Hello Edward, I was expecting you to call much earlier."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah… just tell me what that whole thing with the kids was about?"

I hear him sigh. "I am not checking up on her Edward, but right now they should be seeing a doctor. I just want to help make sure they're getting what they need medically. At some point someone may pick up on what you have observed, and having her taking them to a doctor will be more in her favor. That is all I am going to do. I assume because they are in school that all of their shots are up to date, but it is best to double check." I rub my face knowing that he is right.

"I'll be coming along too. I will get the afternoon off from the college."

I hear him chuckle. "Now there's a surprise."

"What do you mean by that?" I growl through the phone at him.

"I meant nothing bad by it, Edward. I have known you for eighteen years now, and you've never once looked at anyone the way you look at her. I saw a different you today and not in a bad way. Not only that, but I can see what you mean. I even spoke with Jasper; there is just something about this girl that, once you get past the shyness, truly sets her apart."

I smile knowing that they seem to agree with me. "Okay, I'll talk to you later." I hang up the phone after our goodbyes and begin to look though the things I bought today.

**~*HVC*~**

_Lying on my back, I feel her fingers on my chest. __Watching__ as she __is leaning__ forward across my body, her lean thighs __straddle__ my hips. Her long, thick brown hair is veiling her face and tickling me as her lips and fingers blaze her fire across my skin. I have never wanted the fulfillment of being buried inside of another so badly. The heat of her small lithe body is making my cock harder than I think it has ever been before. Grabbing her hips, I lift her up until the tip of my cock is at her opening. "Look at me baby," I moan__ out__. As I start to lower her tight wet pussy onto my cock, she lifts her head. Staring at me with those wide innocent eyes is…_

The gasp wakes me from my erotic dream. "Bella…"

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><p><strong>AN: Well a little more insight into the world of Bella. So tell me, what are your thoughts? I know Edward is being sneaky, but Bella does need someone to take care of her. We are very interested in hearing from you. Remember, those of you who leave us a review will get a teaser for the next chapter! In the next chapter, Edward starts teaching Bella some reading skills. YAY!**


	10. Chapter 10 ABC Easy as 123

****_The early post is because it is already Thursday in the UK, and since half of this writing team is there, we felt it was fair enough.  
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**Disclaimer: All actual Twilight things belong to Stephenie Meyer, this story line and a few original characters belong to us. Please by all means, write your own stuff and don't steal ours. A huge thank you goes out to: Jess2002, Aurellacullen FFN/Aylacullen TWCS, MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, toocute24, and Sarah… These girls are one awesome group of ladies to work with. Any mistakes in the final wrap belong to us. Thanks, Kasi and Nikky.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: ABC Easy as 123<strong>

It's Friday morning, not yet the ass-crack of dawn even, and I'm wide awake. I have been trying for a while to go back to sleep, all to no avail. My erotic thoughts brought to light by my dream are thick in my head. I can't stop imagining Bella riding my cock. I can't stop myself as I think of it, and again I grasp my cock, taking matters into my own hands. I never waste time with self-pleasure; I have my girls at Aro's to take care of those needs for me. Yet, here I lie. This is the fourth time since the dream woke me that I have brought myself to climax with the thoughts of her body alone. Already angry at myself, I throw off the covers and get up. I grab my blackberry and send off a quick text to Aro. I want Irina tonight. I am going to fuck Bella out of my head, even if it is the last thing I do. After hitting send, I throw the phone on the bedside table, and head to my bathroom for a nice, cold shower.

**~HCV~**

The weekend and Monday have passed, and Bella made a few slips on Friday and Monday, calling me Mr. Masen, but mostly, she called me Edward. I think that she is starting to like it, but some of that might be wishful thinking. I know that she likes it much better when I call her Bella rather than Isabella; I can see it in her eyes.

I had Irina on Friday night and Carmen on Monday night at Aro's. I enjoyed restraining both of them and fucking them six ways to Sunday. It seems no matter how much I fuck them though; I still keep re-living the dream where I wake up with Bella on my cock. I'd rather not discuss this with Jasper though, because I am not sure what the attraction is.

The boys and I all met up on Saturday for a workout and lunch. The topic moved to Bella, and Emmett was not happy that he was the only one that had not met her yet. I, well we, explained that she didn't like close contact with people and might say things out of the norm. Of course, this all fell on deaf ears, because his only response was him promising to be on his best behavior. Now, we all love Emmett, most people do, but he is a large hulk of a man. Emmett is six foot six and must be tipping the scales at close to three hundred pounds. His biceps are the size of my thighs. He also has a quick mouth and often says things without thinking. We tried to tell him this, but he didn't get it. We all knew that he would end up trying to hug her, or that she would end up saying something and then he would joke about it, but either way, she would end up hurt. I just couldn't allow that to happen, not even by one of my best friends. He pouted the rest of the time we were together, even after Jasper and Carlisle both said she could not meet him yet. I was a bit worried at the end of lunch when Emmett looked as if he was hatching an evil plan.

I look at my watch, seeing that it's almost nine-thirty, and Bella is about to walk in. I have set up the table with some of the supplies I need to help teach her, including alphabet cards. Since she can already recognize some letters, I know teaching her the alphabet should be pretty simple. I know the best thing for me to do is to start at the beginning. This means that the alphabet song we all loved as a kid is first. I look to the door as it opens, and see Bella walking in. She glances at me, and I can see in her eyes that she looks both excited and apprehensive. I am sure she is a bit nervous about today, so I smile at her. We already decided that we would do an hour and a half on Tuesday mornings and an hour and a half on Thursday afternoons.

"Bella, hang up your jacket and come over to the table." She nods her head and does what I ask. "We will begin with the alphabet. There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet; twenty-one are consonants, and five are vowels. I will show both the capital and lower case letters. Are you ready?" She nods her head before putting her glasses on. She has them sitting at the edge of her nose, which will make her look over the top of them rather than through them. I push them back to sit on her nose correctly. "No looking over them, Bella," I say, giving her a smile.

"This is the letter A. A is for apple." She smiles, looking at the letter and repeating me. We make our way through each letter, and I smile at how seriously Bella is taking her learning. We go through the cards a few more times before I lay them all out flat on the table, facing up. I decide to have her try to pick up the correct card for the letter I am asking for. "Well done! You're on a roll and really catching on fast. Let's see…I want you to try to find a hard one next. Can you find me the lowercase B?" Bella takes a look at the cards before stretching out and picking up the lowercase D. As she brings it to herself, she stops and brings the lowercase B card with her as well. I watch her and she looks between the two of them.

"You said that a lowercase B was almost like the capital B," she says as she looks between them. "This one is the capital B," she says as she picks up the card. "The belly goes the same way as this one, so this is a lowercase B," she says as she hands me the correct card.

"Are you sure?" I ask, seeing if she will change her mind when questioned. She bites her lip and nods her head. "This is your last chance to change your mind," I say, raising my eyebrows at her.

She frowns shakes her head. "No, that is the small B, I'm sure it is, well pretty sure."

She looks at me, and I can see the anticipation in her eyes as she awaits my answer. "I'm sorry, Bella, but you are. . ." She closes her eyes right after looking down. "Correct!" Her eyes spring open as she looks at me and starts clapping her hands. "Well done! That was a tricky one. You also got this one correct, which is the capital B. What is this one?" I ask, pointing to the lowercase D.

She looks at it and smiles. "I think it is the D," she says as I look at her.

"Is that the answer you're going with?" She nods her head a little. "You don't look too sure. Is that what you want to go with?"

"Yes, I am sure. It's the D for dog." She pushes the card to me. I look down at it and shake my head.

I can see her frown, and I smile. "You are right again!" I laugh as she lets out a breath air she was holding.

"You're doing really well. Look at the stack of cards you've correctly identified versus the two you got wrong." As she takes in the cards, I look at the remaining three. She has the uppercase N and L, and a lowercase G left. "Can you tell me what the rest of these letters are?"

Her right hand goes to her hair as her left traces over the letters on the cards. I watch her as she traces each letter while she studies them. "This one is the big N, for No." She smiles at me and hands me capital N card. "This one is the big L, for lollipop." Her smile remains on her face while she hands me the capital L card. I nod my head at her in agreement. "This one is the. . .Um. . ." I watch her as she bites her lip. She looks at me, very unsure, and then back at the card. I watch her trace the dark lines of the letter with her finger. I lean closer to her, and hear her quietly going through the alphabet to herself. "It is either the lowercase J, or the lowercase G," she says, looking at the card carefully. "Wait, the lowercase J is for jam, and has a dot at the top, so this is the lowercase G." She hands me the card with a smile on her face.

"Is that your final answer?" She rolls her eyes and nods her head. I raise my eyebrows at her and she frowns back at me. "Well then, it looks like you got three… " I stop talking when her face falls. "I mean two wrong and the rest of these right," I say, holding up the large stack. "This is really awesome, Bella! You're learning very quickly, and it's just fucking great. Well done," I say with a big smile.

She gasps before smiling at me. "So the last card was a lowercase G? You mean… you mean that I was right?" she asks, full of excitement that makes me chuckle, so I nod my head at her. "Then why did you make me think that I got it wrong? Hey, you did that a few times to me. That's mean," she all but pouts.

I chuckle at her some more, because it is cute seeing her let go of her shyness. "Bella, I only did that when you were hesitant or acted unsure. You need to learn first and foremost to trust yourself. The more you question your instinct, the less you will allow yourself to learn. Besides, if you act unsure with me, I will torture you because I am a mean teacher." Her cheeks flush pink and she nods her head while I chuckle at her. "Now, we have ten minutes left, what would you like to do?"

She looks at me then to the stack of letter cards in my hand. "Can we do the alphabet song again? I mean, I want to make sure I know it well." I nod my head, letting her run through the song again, and smile when she gets to the end.

"Well, I think that was a good first lesson. You keep practicing the alphabet song, okay?" I give her a wink, and she blushes as she looks down.

"Thank you, Edward. I am going to get to work now." She jumps off the stool and walks away from the table. I smile as I put everything away. She knew about six of the letters when we started, but I am pretty sure she remembers most of them now. I knew she would pick this up fast; she is clearly a lot brighter than she has ever been given credit for.

**~HCV~**

I came home this afternoon to find Bella the happiest that I have ever seen her. She is humming the alphabet song and doesn't notice me. I watch her clean my table before she picks up the book that I was going to give her for her birthday, looking at it intently. "T- A- L- E" She scratches her head, and I watch her lightly trace the letters. "T- A- L- E. Why can't I get this?" Her face changes as she becomes more frustrated. I watch and listen to her as she again traces and says each letter. As she repeats the letters, I realize she is trying to figure out the word. Fuck! She's trying to read the word just by saying the names of the letters.

"Bella," I say, making my presence known.

She jumps and turns to me. "Sorry Mr. Mas . . ." I raise my eyebrows at her use of the formal name, stopping her mid-sentence. "Edward, I didn't see you there. Do you want me to come to lunch already?" She frowns, looking at her watch to see the time.

"No, I haven't made it yet." She bites her lip looking at me. "You were doing well with your letters; I was watching you." She shakes her head at me, and I can see that she thinks of herself more as a failure. "Bella, no; don't assume you're not doing well. You got the letters all correct, and before you say that you couldn't get the word, there is a reason for that. When we read a word, we need to know the sound each letter makes. I only taught you the letters so far, not the sounds. It can be very complex, as some letters make more than one sound, and sometimes those very same letters are silent, it depends on which word your reading. It all is about how the letters are put together. Now this is the T, and it sounds a lot like it looks. _'Tuh – tuh – tee'_; so in this word, the first letter is the _'tuh'_ sound." I say each sound very slowly as I trail my finger across the corresponding letter. "T- A- L, and in this word, the E is silent" I do this another two times, putting the sounds together to form the word, before she starts tracing the letters and saying the word with me. "T-A- L, T-A- L." I nod my head at her.

"Bella, you're doing so well, we just need to take baby steps; one thing at a time, and we will get you there. I will explain this more tomorrow, okay? Come on, and help me make lunch today." Stop ordering her around, Doucheward! I sigh, looking back at her. "I mean, would you like to help me make lunch today, Bella?" I ask, pulling at my hair while looking at her. As she bites her lip and nods her head, I sigh in relief.

We decide to make grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch. We are just getting started when I hear my front door open. I give Bella a confused look, as if to ask if she knows who it is. She just shakes her head slightly, looking at me. "This is your house, Edward. Why would I know who has come in? Oh, it could be Jasper or Carlisle," she says with a shrug, answering her own question. I love how she has become more comfortable here, but now is not the time to dwell on that. Now it is time to see who is here.

Bella looks back to the soup and stirs it. I am still chuckling at her remark as I head to my front door. When I get there, I find Jasper, Carlisle, and of course Emmett, standing in the entryway. Both Carlisle and Jasper point to Emmett. Great; the blame game!

"What the hell are you doing here?" My tone is harsh and they all just look at me.

"Now Ed, we don't think that it is nice of you to keep your toys all to yourself. You need to learn to share," Emmett mocks.

I raise my eyebrow to him. "Emmett, Bella is not a fucking toy... "

I am cut off by Bella's voice. "Is everything okay, Edward? Oh, hello Jasper, Carlisle. How are you both today? Are you staying for lunch?" I turn to look at Bella as she comes toward us, her eyes move to Emmett as she stops in her tracks and just stares at him. She smiles and begins walking again till she reaches me and stands by my side. "I take it that you are Mr. Emmett?"

Emmett looks at me and then to her. "Well yes, yes I am, but it is just Emmett or Emmie." He grins at her, and I can see the wheels turning in his mind. "By the way, do not believe a word he says about me; he tells lies about me ALL the time." Emmett steps forward to greet her, but Jasper keeps ahold of his arm.

Bella looks at me, then at Emmett, and then back to me and smiles. "He said that you were one of the nicest people he's ever met, and that you're a great lawyer. So was all of that a lie?" Bella asks, raising her eyebrow at him. This makes me secretly chuckle, because I can see I am wearing off on her. I also enjoy the fact that she feels comfortable enough to talk.

"No, that is true, and I have heard a great deal about you, Isabella." Bella blushes as she gives Emmett her normal shy smile along with a nod.

"Hello, little lady. How are you doing today? Is Assward still being nice to you?"

Bella nods her head. "Yes, Edward has been very kind to me, Jasper."

"That is good to hear, little one. I would hate to have to smack him on the head in his own house," Carlisle says as he walks towards us.

"Have you all come to have lunch with us?" Bella asks, looking between all of us.

"Ed here grew up as an only child until he was sixteen, so he doesn't share very well. We won't make him share his lunch with us, and normally he wouldn't anyway," Emmett says with a pouty face. "Besides, I came all this way just to meet you, little bit." I roll my eyes at him, knowing that he is trying to get her to feel sorry for him.

Bella smiles at him, and I know that I will be making more grilled cheese sandwiches in a minute. "Edward always shares his lunch with me. I am sure Edward will share lunch with you guys, too. Today we are having grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup."

Emmett's grin gets even bigger. "I love grilled cheese and tomato soup; it's one of my favorites." Emmett turns his eyes to me and puts on his 'feel sorry for me' face again. "So, what do ya say Ed, can we join you pleeeeeease? I promise to be a good boy," he says, batting his eyelashes like a little girlie girl.

Bella snorts, looking away and biting her lip. I lean over toward Bella, but whisper loudly so they all can hear me. "So what do you think, should we feed them?" I give her a smirk, knowing she will know she should speak her mind.

"I don't believe Emmett for a minute that he will be good. He has got the same glint in his eye that Seth and Leah get when there planning to do a prank on me." I nod my head, pleased that she picked up on Emmett's misbehavior right away. "But, I do like Jasper and Carlisle, and we have plenty. I am sure we have enough for them." I nod my head at her, and look to see Jasper and Carlisle chuckling at Emmett's face.

"Well, thank you, little one. That is very kind of you. We like you too," Carlisle replies while patting Jasper on the back.

"I like you much more than him, little lady," Jasper says as he points to Emmett.

"So no one likes me then. I am just Emmett, the sometimes friend then?" Emmett goes into full pout mode. "All I wanted to do is meet little bit and have some lunch with my friends. Well, I thought you were my friends anyway. But no, that is all gone now, because no one likes me. So not fair! Little bit, they're really mean to me, and Ed knows that I love grilled cheese and tomato soup the most."

I shake my head at him, and Bella looks at me before busting out laughing as she looks back at Emmett. "I am sorry, but he looks like Seth does when I say he can't eat any more ice cream. I think if we let Carlisle and Jasper stay, then he will have to stay, too." She looks at me, biting her lip, and I smile at her.

"Fine, you can stay for lunch, but next time call first."

As soon as the words are out my mouth, Emmett cheers out loud and grins. "Yeah! Where's the food? I'm starving!"

Jasper rolls his eyes as we head back into the kitchen for lunch. It doesn't take long to grill up another eight sandwiches and open a few more jars of the soup. Within ten minutes, we are all sitting around the table. It goes a lot better than I thought it would. Emmett manages to keep a hold of himself, and not give Bella any of those big hugs that he so freely shares with everyone.

We're about half way through the meal when I realize that Bella is being completely open with me. With the guys here, she leans towards me when she wants to ask something, like whether or not what they said was a joke. I am really enjoying this, and am happy to know that I'm able to earn her trust. I know that earning that trust is not something I deserve, but I will one day have her full trust, even if it is the last thing I do.

**~HCV~**

"The English language is very complex. Each letter makes it's own sound, but some of them share sounds also, like _C_ and _S_. _C_ usually makes a '_Cuh'_ sound, but it can also make a '_SSSS'_ sound like an _S_. Some letters sound a certain way in one word and a different way in another word. While I am teaching you letters and their sounds, we also are going to work on consonant blends and diagraphs, which is basically taking two letters to make one sound. This is known as phonics, or combining letters and sounds to make words. I have some more cards; these have pictures and words on them. This will help me to show you the different sounds." I place two cards on the table: one with a police car on it, and the other with a phone. "Now see? These both start with what letter?"

"That is the letter P," Bella says confidently.

"Yes, both of the words on these cards start with the letter P. But both P's sound sounds different. Listen to them when I say them to you." Bella nods her head at me. "This is a police car. '_Puh – puh - p –olice'_... and in this one," I say, pointing to the phone, "the _Ph_ works together and becomes an _F_ sound for '_fuh – fuh__'_ phone." We spend the next hour on phonics, and then we put away the deck of cards that are all like toddler learning toys. I also bought several index cards, and made her a stack of flashcards with common, high-frequency words written on them. I want her to try to sound out the words on the flashcards, so I give her a stack of five to start with. "Okay, Bella, the cards I just gave you are called flashcards. Each card has a word on it referred to as a high-frequency word, or common-use word. They are easy words that you will come across often, and you will pick them up rather quickly. Some of them can be learned by sounding them out and some will just have to be memorized. These ones I am giving you today are easily decoded by using the letter sounds. Let's see if you can sound out the first one."

"I," she says, holding up the card that has just the capital letter I on it.

"That is correct, Bella. Great job. See? I told you that some words are really simple to learn."

We go through the five flashcards I gave her, and she only struggled with the word you. I expected as much, though.

"I've got some other cards for you to take home and study with as well. These cards have a word on one side, and a picture on the other. I want you to practice reading the five high-frequency words, singing the alphabet song, and then work on going through these cards. This is your homework assignment; it is important that you work on this for at least half an hour to an hour everyday. Can you do that?" She smiles, taking the cards as she nods her head.

I see her bite her lip and I know she wants to ask something, but I want her to say it without being coached. I remain quiet, and wait for her to think out what she wants to say. Finally, she looks me in the eye and clears her throat. "Edward, what was school like for you? Seth and Leah talk about their day when we have dinner. I love hearing what they did and how they are doing in their classes. I mean, I was so worried when they first started, that I ended up staying in the hallway and watching them for a little while. They have a playground with a slide, a swing set, and things to climb on, so they had fun, but I was still worried. I was so happy when it seemed like they had made some friends. Actually, they both have a lot of friends, even if the other moms make me feel like I shouldn't be there. Most of them think that I am Seth and Leah's mom. I have heard them talking and see the way they look at me. It is not a good or nice way either, so I just worry that Seth and Leah will not always like being at school."

She looks to the floor and frowns before looking at me again. "I feel weird even when I'm at work. Most people stay away from me, and I never know what to say to them anyway, so I stay quiet. I just, I don't feel right, like I don't really belong. I was just worried that Seth and Leah would feel like that, too. I am so glad they don't, though, and I hope it stays that way. Leah was telling me about this boy who hits her and calls all the smaller kids names. She said he even tried to take her lunch, and laughed at her because she doesn't have a mom. He has said lots of mean things to her, like I was sick and going to die and she would be all alone." Bella looks up at me, the hurt in her eyes is clear to see. "Leah punched him in his potty-place, and got a week with no recess. I didn't think that was fair. I know that she shouldn't have hit him, but the boy got away with what he said to her. She cried all night. I didn't then, and still don't know what to do about what happened. I want to tell her things will get better, or give her a reason why he did what he did, but I just don't know. I am just so glad and thankful the boy has stayed away from her since that day. I wish that I had been allowed to go to school. I know that I am too old now, but I would have liked to have been a part of it. Then maybe I would've been able to help Seth and Leah more. Can you tell me what it was like for you? I just want to hear about it." I look at her, hearing the words that she used. I know she feels like she doesn't belong, and that she doesn't fit in, and that is something I'm all too familiar with.

"Bella, do you feel that you don't belong at Midnight Sun?" I ask, knowing that I need to address that first and foremost. "Or here? Do you feel like you don't belong when you're here?" I am really worried I have hurt her yet again. I know my voice is a bit high pitched, because I see her eyes open wide.

"What? No, I love working here, I really do! You don't make me feel like I'm stupid." She looks up at me, and then down again. "Nothing is wrong here at all, and I do like working at Midnight Sun with Eric and Taylor, too. They don't shout at me; they don't call me stupid, or any other bad words." I look at her, horrified that one of my staff would say anything like that to her. Not just her, but to another worker. I will fucking fire whomever it is when I find out.

"Bella, who called you that, or said those mean things to you?" I can hear the anger in my voice, and so does Bella, because now she looks scared of me and upset. "Shit, Bella, I am not mad at you at all. Please, just tell me who it was. I need to know. I will not have an employee who goes around bullying or belittling a co-worker."

She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders. "I wasn't just talking about Midnight Sun. I know it's me; I just don't belong in most places. I didn't even belong with my mom and dad. I didn't belong at the Break Away Hotel, nor do I belong at the college. Even when I go to see Aro, I know I don't belong there, either. It's not that Aro or the staff there makes me feel like that, but I just feel wrong when the men there look at me."

I can't argue the last place at all; she doesn't belong there. I know why she feels uncomfortable when they look at her. It's because they all want to fuck her. "I only feel safe and calm when I am with Seth and Leah." She looks at me and then whispers, "and here with you." I am in a bit of shock that she says she feels safe here with me. "I better get to Midnight Sun for my shift now. Thank you for my lesson, Edward." I look at her, not wanting her to go. I want to talk to her and tell her I know how she feels. I didn't fit in at school, and have spent most of my life feeling like a square trying to fit into a round world.

"Wait, Bella; you asked how school was for me. I would like to tell you. I think it may help you a little." She looks at me and nods her head. "How about I make us some tea? I'm sure you will like it, and we can sit in the living room while we talk." She nods her head and follows me to the kitchen. I load up the tea tray and carry it into the living room with Bella following me. I pour us each a cup, and we sit on the couch together. On instinct, I turn my body so that I am facing her.

"I love learning of all kinds. I can speak ten different languages; I love finding out facts, or just learning something new. With school, though, it was different. I hated it. I hated nearly everyone there, and I was very miserable." I chuckle a little and take a sip of my tea. "If you want to know about how I did in school, we will have to start at the beginning. When I first began school, it was great. I had some friends, and we loved playing Power Rangers or Batman. Every school day, I was up, washed, and dressed, almost pulling my dad to the car so I could get there to see my friends; it was great.

"I was eight and in third grade when the school nurse and principle came and got me from class. That was the day my dad died. From that day on, my life was never the same. I missed him so much, and I still do.

"My mom was a little different. I didn't really see it until I started going to school or over to friend's houses. None of their moms were like mine. You see, my mother, well, she has bi-polar disorder, and is manic depressive. My dad sat me down when I was seven, and told me all about my mother's illnesses. She had taken me out, and we were away for four days before he found us. He was so angry and he explained that I had to help look after her. I hadn't realized that what she did was wrong.

"When he died, it was just me and her, and I had to look after her. My mom had never come to the school; it was always dad who did those things. But when she had to start bringing me and coming with me to school, that was when I realized just how different she was. My friend's moms and the other adults started talking about her. They didn't care who was around to hear them, either. I heard them more than once saying that she was this, or that. Many of the people thought she was a drunk or a drug addict.

"Slowly, my friends stopped asking me to come to their houses, and they never came to mine because of what they thought about my mom. Soon after that, they stopped talking to me all together, and then I was alone. That's when the bullying started; each day I would walk as slowly as I could to school. As the days went on, it became worse, and soon the hitting started. I hid all the marks, and always told mom that school was good and that I was fine. I didn't want to be the one that made her sad. Sometimes the teachers saw it, but they brushed it off because the one that hit me the most was a girl. I was raised to believe that you never hit a girl, and that was why I never fought her off. I took everything she did and said each day. I just did my work, and worked hard to get good grades and do well.

"I had it in my head that if I didn't speak much, and just did my work, they would get bored and leave me alone. The teachers always liked me because my work was mostly perfect, but when they started using me in class to point out how to do something, things got even worse. I knew that the A-plusses I brought home made my mom happy, so I kept doing well in school, even though it kept bringing me more hardship from my classmates.

"When I would go home with another A-plus, or an award for a project I had done well on, my mom would smile. I hated seeing her so sad all the time; I lived for those smiles, and worked so hard to make her happy. It was what my father wanted me to do.

"Things were really hard, but just when I thought my life couldn't get any worse, it did. When I was almost sixteen, my mom became ill, and she didn't snap out of it. I was worried, and called Carlisle. My mom worked for his wife, Esme. He came and told me that she had to go to the hospital and stay there for a little while.

"Weeks went by, and she still didn't snap out of it. I found myself living with Carlisle and Esme. They had no children of their own, but they were already looking after Esme's niece and nephew, Jasper and Rose. My sixteenth birthday came and went, and my mom was still not back from the hospital. A few days later, Carlisle and Esme sat me down and told me that my mom had signed legal guardianship of me over to them. They went on to explain to me that they were responsible for looking after me now." I turn my head to look at the floor, because this part is hard to think about, let alone say out loud.

"I felt alone and so fucking horrible. It was my fault that she left, because I had called Carlisle. I should have just looked after her myself. I knew where she would be, so I went after her. When I saw her, she told me that she didn't want me anymore. She told me that I needed to forget her, and pretend as if she never existed. She told me to stay safe and to be happy with Carlisle and Esme. Then she left me there, crying and all alone."

I feel a spark on my hand, and I glance up to see Bella is rubbing it. I look at her face, and I expect to see her feeling sorry for me. I do see that she feels sympathetic, but I also see understanding. The one thing I can't see in her eyes is pity, I am so glad for that; I fucking hate pity. "I went back to staying with Carlisle and Esme. The summer passed, and Jasper and I became friends. Jasper treated me like a brother, and Carlisle and Esme were great, too. Rose made me feel like an outsider, like I didn't belong and shouldn't be there. To Rose, I was nothing more than an intruder in her house. School started up again, and of course I was bullied," I laugh, shaking my head as Bella continues to watch me.

"I was tall and lanky, had bad acne, big thick glasses, and braces, and my hair was always so crazy, so I wore a ton of gel in it to keep it slicked back. My clothes were always geeky, mismatched, and ill-fitting. Esme always tried to get me different clothes, but I never wanted her or Carlisle to spend money on me. I always had my head buried in a book and got great grades, but I had no hobbies or friends. I might as well have been wearing a sign that said 'here I am, come whip my geeky, freaky ass.'"

Bella bites her lip and shakes her head at me, like she doesn't understand what I mean. "I will show you, but if you tell anyone that I have this picture, I will never buy you a muffin again." I head into my office to find the picture I want, and then head back out to the living room. "Here you go, take a look at this; this will explain it all for you."

I am surprised or mad when she lets out a laugh. "Oh my God, holy smokes!" I watch as she looks from the picture to me and back to the picture again. I notice that her eyes get wide when she looks back at me, and then to the picture once more.

I sit back down next to her and continue to watch her. "I know, I know; it's not the best of pictures is it?"

She shakes her head. "No. You were kind of a cutie, but the bow tie was a little overboard. Did you have to wear that as part of a school uniform?" she asks, raising her eyebrows at me questioningly.

I shake my head. "No; sadly, I thought it looked cool." At this point, she busts out laughing again, but hands me back the picture. "Yeah, so now you can see, I was the school eye-sore. So I was bullied for my clothing choices and my brains. Jasper tried to help, but he couldn't be with me all the time. He even begged Rose to help me." Bella gives me another confused look. "Ah, you see, Rose was the top bitch at the school, and everyone did what she said. Girls dressed like her, and all the boys wanted to fuck her." I look at Bella and rub my face. "Um, I mean the guys all wanted to have sex with her. Anyway, she was worshiped by everyone, even the teachers. No one in the school liked me, but she all but had them eating out of her hands."

Bella touches my arm again, and I feel that same spark. "Why didn't they like you? I thought the teachers were supposed to like and help everyone?"

I rub my face and look back at her. "Well no, not really. We are _supposed_ to treat everyone equally and teach. Unfortunately, most teachers have a favorite student that they coddle. Some just enjoy being rude or mean, and some get off on being a smartass. Sometimes teachers find themselves just not liking a student; only a good teacher can get past that, and treat everyone the same. Sometimes, they resent a student who is smarter than they are."

Bella nods her head in understanding. "I take it you were smarter than them?"

I nod my head at her and grin. "Yep," I say as look at her. I decide to have a little fun with her. "One thing I never understood until now, was how a teacher could like one student more than anyone else. But now I do; I understand it very well."

She looks up at me. "You're not mean, and I can't see you being mean to any of them. You would never be nicer to one than another. You are such a great teacher."

I am really glad she is not really in any of my classes; I would have a hard time not singling her out, and not in a bad way. "No, Bella, I meant that I do have a favorite student."

She looks at me and the shock is clear on her face. "You do?" she asks, looking a bit confused. "Is it the one that asks to carry your books to the car?"

I frown at her and roll my eyes. "No, it's not him; he is just trying to butter me up. He thinks I have a good side, but he is going to be disappointed. I am talking about you, Bella. You are my favorite student." She blushes while looking down, but as I look at her, I know that what I said is true. She is my favorite, and is becoming more than that, much more. "Anyway, back to my school days. Jasper asked Rose to say that I was out of bounds, but she said that it had nothing to do with her and she walked away."

Bella gasps, cutting me off. "She could have stopped them from hurting you and she didn't? Why? I thought you were kind of like her brother!"

I rub her arm, trying to calm her down a little. "Rose is a..." Bella looks at me, like she wants me to finish my sentence. "Rose is a bitch. She is very black and white. If you don't have the right clothes, parents, or car, then you are not worth her time. She's not a bully per se, but she doesn't care. Me getting picked on was of no importance to her. She would say things about some people being bullied, but never me, so Jasper kept by me as much as he could."

"Three months after I started school and lived with the Cullen's, I finally made a friend on my own. Alice was this small girl who bounced around all the time. One day, she sat beside me and began chatting with me. She told me all about how we were going to be great friends. She started sitting with Jasper and me at lunch everyday too, and it became a little easier to go to school with both of them there for me each day."

"Soon after Alice joined Jasper and me, someone tripped me and I fell in class. Everyone was laughing, and the person who tripped me moved to kick me, but his foot never made contact. I looked up to see the biggest guy in our school standing there. My first thought was 'I'm so fucked; he's going to kill me.' He never touched me, though. Instead, he told the guy to say he was sorry. He even made him get on his knees and beg me for forgiveness. Then he said if anyone else touched me again, he was going to punch them for it. He said for every hit I took, they would get two in return."

"As you may have guessed, that was Emmett. After he helped me up, we were friends right away. He was the class clown, but he would not tolerate bullying of any sort. Emmett is the friendliest guy I know, and can literally talk to anyone. Emmett fit in well with the three of us, and finally, the bullying stopped. Emmett struggled in a few classes, so I helped him. We worked out a deal; I would tutor him, and in return, he would help me get fit. Since Jasper and Alice had started dating, Emmett and I began spending all of our free time in the gym or with a book in front of us. That's when I realized I had a love of teaching. Emmett is really smart and he was then, too. However, he has a form of ADHD and gets distracted easily, so we worked and studied all summer."

"About a week before school started, Alice decided I needed to have new clothes that actually fit me, so she took me shopping and helped me pick some out. Then she helped me fix my hair, and talked me into getting contacts. The funniest part was when she told me if I ever wore the bow tie to school again; she would paint my car pink. I got my braces off, and my skin cleared up with the new soap I was using."

"When I went back to school, I was stunned to find out that everyone thought I was new. About a week later, girls started asking me out. Emmett and Jasper told me that I should go out with a few of them, so after a little bit, I started to say yes. I would take them out to the best restaurants in town, but it always felt wrong, like I didn't belong there. I tried to talk with the girls, and kiss their hands. I always used manners and opened doors, and said thank you when I dropped them off. Most girls only went out with me one to three times at most. This had been going on for six or seven months, and I was fairly happy. One day though, I needed a book that I left at Alice's. I went to get it, knowing that she and Jasper were going out. They had been dating a year by this time. I climbed the tree to get to her room. It was something I always did to see her and bypass her parents. I climbed to her window and noticed it was already open partially. Before I could open it fully and go inside, I heard voices. It was Alice and a couple of girls from school. I remember frowning because I didn't know she hung around with them. I was just about to leave when I heard my name." I stop talking and rub my face, again looking down at the floor.

"They all sat around laughing and talking about how much of a bore I was. They said that even the free dinner they got didn't quite make it worth their while to date me. I heard them saying that it was funny how I would give them a flower or a box of candy, and they would just throw it away or give it to someone else. Then they started discussing how I would die a virgin and I wouldn't know what to do with a girl if I had one. They laughed at me for kissing their hands, and opening their doors. They called me pathetic and boring; finally, I had heard enough and needed to leave."

"That was when I heard something that truly hurt me. I heard Alice laughing. She was supposed to be my friend. She always said that we were best friends for life, and here she was, stabbing me in the back. I felt sick that she pretended that I fit in with her. I was willing my body to move, when I heard one of the girls ask why she was friends with me anyway. I heard her tell them 'I really liked Jasper, and he didn't talk to anyone very much. I tried talking to him, but it didn't work. When I saw him with Boringward, I figured if I became friends with him, then Jasper would talk to me. Don't give me too much crap, because it worked. I got my Jazzy from it, and now we hardly spend any time with him at all. Once I showed my Jazzy what his little Alice could do for him, it was all good."

"I made my body move after that. I couldn't believe that she had called me that. I never told anyone about hearing Alice say that, until just now. I stopped spending time with them and at lunch I would eat in my car alone. I never went out on any more dates, just stuck to doing my schoolwork. My high school life ended with me feeling like I didn't belong, and that I didn't fit in. I felt like there must have been something wrong with me, so I know how you feel, Bella.

"I have two good friends: Jasper and Emmett. Both mean a lot to me. Then there is Carlisle, who is so much more than a friend. Like I said before, I see him as a father figure. I fit in with them, and I can always be myself. It is the same when I am with you; I can be myself, and you never make me feel the way I did in high school. That is why I was so upset by the thought that someone I pay to work for me, is being unkind to you, because you don't deserve that. I hope I can help you feel that you have a place, that you belong." I look back at her, seeing her eyes fill with tears that she will not let fall.

I wish I knew why she does not allow herself to cry when she needs to. "Thank you for telling me that, but I always feel safe when I am with you, Edward, even when I was just cleaning your classroom before we talked. You are the only person that I ever cleaned a room for while they were still in it. I will head over to Midnight Sun now, because I am running late, unless there is something you wish me to do here?"

"No, you can go to Midnight Sun, Bella. Thank you for listening to me, but it stays between us, okay?" She nods her head. "I am sorry, but that is not enough. You have to pinkie swear," I say, holding up my pinkie finger. She looks at me and my pinkie finger questioningly, and I smile. "Wrap your right pinkie around mine." I smile as she does it. "This is a pinkie swear. When you do this and say you will never tell, it means it is an iron-clad promise, which means it can never be broken. You can't tell anyone anything I said if you pinkie swear not to. Just like I can't say anything you said. So if you ever need to tell me something that you only want me to know, then ask me to pinkie swear and I will do the same."

She smiles at me and nods her head. "Thank you, Edward. I will see you later when you come to Midnight Sun." I watch her as she gets up to gather her things. I smile at her as she waves to me from the door. I wave back, and watch as she walks out, closing the door behind her.

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><p><strong>AN: Well what are your thoughts now about Edward? We got a glimpse into his past, and it is one of the main reasons he chooses to go to Aro's instead of opting to date casually. I know that his time at Aro's is a hard limit for a good portion of you readers, and we assure you that those times are coming to a close quickly. **

**We are very interested in hearing from you. Remember, those of you who leave us a review will get a teaser for the next chapter! In the next chapter, Edward learns more about Bella.**

**Please note that: tehlemonadestand (dot) blogspot (dot) com is holding the vote open through the 18th and His Cimmerian View is up for fic of the month. Please go vote if not for us, than for another deserving story, there are some great ones on the list. On behalf of Nikky and myself, thank you for reading and reviewing and voting.**


	11. Chapter 11 Learning Some Background

**A/N: We usually do this at the end, but we needed to put in a WARNING. . .I (Kasi), when writing the review replies made a mistake. In the review reply, I told you that the graphic parts from Aro's club were done and over. There are two more chapters that have very subdued, yet graphic parts from the club. It seems some of you don't care for his time at the club, which we understand, however most of you also understand it is his outlet. We assure you that this story is about Bella and Edward ending together as a couple, happily ever after. But, they are not yet a couple. Normal disclaimer applies. Super huge thanks to all the rockin' ladies that make our story complete. . .Content1, Jess2002, Sallyhop, Aurellacullen FFN/Aylacullen TWCS, MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, toocute24, and Sarah. . . These girls are one awesome group of ladies to work with. Any mistakes in the final wrap belong to us.**

**Thanks,**

**Kasi and Nikky.**

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 11: Learning Some Background**

I let out a sigh as the bus comes to a stop in front of me. As the door opens, I see Seth step off first, followed by Leah, and lastly Bella. As she alights, her eyes lock with mine and I give her a smile, which she returns right away. Suddenly, I notice her smile turn into a frown.

"Edward, why are you here, are you sick again?" she asks, and her face flashes with concern.

I shake my head. "No I'm fine; I just thought that I would come along with you today." I grip my hair, now worrying that I should have asked her before just showing up. "I can go if you would rather; I wondered if maybe you would like a friend here with you. I know you're still unsure of things, I just thought. . ."

I stop talking as her face lights up in a big smile. "Thank you, you're very kind, Edward. Are you sure that I'm not taking up too much of your time?"

I shake my head. "No, I want to be here with you. Come on we better go before we're late." She nods her head before looking to Seth and Leah.

"Seth, Leah, do you remember Mr. Masen?" she asks and they both nod. "We are going to see a friend of his and he would like to come with us. Is that okay with both of you?"

They both look amazingly clean and healthy in their school uniforms, and I give them a smile which they return.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Masen," they say together.

"Is it okay for Mr. Masen to come with us?" she asks and they nod their heads and each take one of Bella's hands.

"Thank you Seth and Leah, please call me Edward."

They smile at me then look at Bella who nods that it's okay for them to do this. As if by silent agreement, we all begin walking toward Carlisle's office.

"Edward, will we have a blood test like Bella did? She had a big, nasty bruise on her arm." Seth asks, and I frown about the fact that Bella had gotten a bruise from the injection.

"Seth, I received a bruise from a pillow once; I've told you how I bruise really easily," she says giving him a half-smile.

"Well, I am not sure if he will do any blood work with you. If he does, it will be a different one than the one Bella had. Carlisle has a magic cream that makes sure that you don't feel any pain." I notice Bella frowning at me.

"What?" I ask, leaning over to her a little.

"Why didn't I get the magic cream? It really did hurt, and I hate needles so much," she mutters.

I chuckle at her. "Well, if you need one again, I am sure Carlisle will give you the magic cream."

She snorts. "There is no way he's ever coming near me with a needle again."

I have to hold back on a chuckle as she looks really young as she says this. All she needs to do now is throw herself on the floor and kick her feet.

We arrive at Carlisle's office, and I go in first with Seth in front of me and Leah behind me. Bella comes in last, closing the door behind her.

"Hello, nice to see you again Little One."

Bella smiles at him. "Hello Carlisle." She places a hand on Seth and Leah.

"Hello Edward; this must be Seth and Leah," Carlisle says as he smiles towards both of them. "Well, let me see if I can tell who is who. I am guessing that you are Seth," he says pointing to Seth. I chuckle as I hear Seth giggle at Carlisle as he nods. "Well then, that means you have to be Leah." Leah nods her head, smiling shyly. "Well alright then, come in and sit down. I will need to take some notes; we can start with this young man here." Seth sits up smiling and is clearly not afraid at all of Carlisle. "Can you tell me your full name please?"

"I'm Seth Charles Swan."

"Do you know your date of birth?"

He nods his head. "December, 31st, 2003." So that makes Seth seven years and almost nine months.

Carlisle looks to Bella. "Was he born in a hospital, or at home?"

She glances to Seth. "Hospital. Mom had a few weeks left before they were supposed to be born. The police came to tell her dad had died, and her water broke while she was shouting at them. Then the EMT people came. One of them was a lady, and they took mom away to the hospital."

Carlisle looks at Bella and nods. "Do you know how early?" Bella bites her lip as she shakes her head. "Has he seen a doctor since he came home from the hospital?"

Bella nods her head. "I took them to see Aro's doctor, and he gave them all the immunization shots they needed. Zafrina also took them for me for updates, if I had to work at the hotel. Zafrina is Aro's mom, and she promised that they would be okay and said that they needed those shots. She told me that they were very important for them to have so they stayed healthy."

Carlisle looks at her. "Can you tell me who Aro is, or the doctor's name?"

Bella frowns at him and then looks at me, confused as to why he doesn't know who Aro is. "Zafrina is the lady who lives next door to me; she is very kind and looks after Seth and Leah when I'm at work because you're not supposed to leave children by themselves. Aro is her son; he helped me get my jobs. They help me, and I know that I should have been there, but. . .have I done something bad?" She looks like she is getting upset, but at no point has she told him that I know Aro.

I grip her hand and rub the top of it, giving her a smile to thank her for keeping my secret. I turn to look at Carlisle and tell him who she is speaking about.

"I know Aro, as well as the doctor she is talking about. His name is Jason Jenks. I'm not sure you are familiar with him, but I will give him a call and ask him to fax all the paperwork he has on them."

Carlisle looks at me, nods his head, and then gives me a clear look to say that he wants to know more about this later. I stand up, heading towards the door.

"Okay, Leah can you tell me your full name?"

She nods her head. "Leah Sue Swan," she smiles at him.

I give Bella one last smile before closing the door, and then I dial Jason Jenks number.

"Hello Mr. Masen. I wasn't expecting your call for another week. Do wish me to book you an appointment?"

I sigh out. "No, um. . .I know this is delicate, but I am outside of Dr. Carlisle Cullen's office right now. He is seeing Seth, Leah, and Bella Swan; I mean Isabella Swan. I was wondering if you could fax Dr. Cullen any medical information that you have on all three of them." Hearing nothing but silence on the other end, I wonder if I had lost connection. "Hello, Jenks, are you there? Look, I will pay you if that is what this is about. Please, she said that a friend was helping her out?"

"Mr. Masen, there is really no need to pay me; they are both extraordinary children. I was just texting Aro to have him confirm what you were saying. Also, I was a little surprised that Isabella was there; she has always been my primary concern. I'm just really surprised that she would go to someone new. She would hardly ever stay in the room with me; and when she did, the door had to be left open. She always maintained a distance of a good few feet between us. Just so you know the kids are healthy and up to date on all their shots. I have medical records on them dating back to October 2006. That is the first time I saw them at the office Aro uses for his staff."

I rub my head, that would be five years ago in October.

"Have you ever seen their mom?"

I hear him let out a ragged breath. "Well, if that's what you want to call her," he retorts. "No, I haven't ever had the opportunity. She had already left them a few months before I saw them for the first time. From what I understand from Seth and Leah, she's never been back."

That was so fucked up; how the fuck could you just leave for five years without worrying about your children?

"Okay, what is Dr. Cullen's fax number? I have everything here, and I'll send it straight away."

I tell him the number and hang up. As I walk back into the office, I can hear Carlisle's fax machine already printing. Carlisle has finished checking over Seth and Leah's physical health and is instructing them to get their shoes back on and to come back over to take their seats. I watch as Carlisle sits at his desk and goes over his notes.

"So how is everything?" I ask the group.

"I am four foot, eight inches and weigh sixty-four pounds. Dr. Carlisle says I have great reflexes, and the best part is I only have six more inches to grow to be as tall as Bella." Seth holds up six fingers and Bella sticks her tongue out at him. I smile at their teasing behavior.

"What about you Leah, do you remember all of your information?"

She smiles at me. "Well, I am only sixty pounds, because I don't eat as many sweets as Chubby. I'm a little smaller though; I am four foot, six and a half. But, if Bella lets me get those high heel shoes like Sarah has, then I'll be taller than him." She smirks at Seth.

"No you won't, because I'm taller, Dr. Carlisle says so. Just because you wear those stupid shoes, won't make you taller. Besides I'm the oldest; the oldest is always the tallest."

Leah rolls her eyes. "But I will look taller than you Dumb, Dumb. And those shoes aren't stupid, you're just jealous."

Seth huffs and crosses his arms.

"Stop it right now, both of you. It doesn't matter who is taller than whom. Besides, I am the oldest, and at the rate you both are growing, you'll both be taller than me; you don't hear me moaning about it." They both look at her and laugh.

"That doesn't count Bella," Seth starts.

"Yeah, because everyone is taller than you," Leah adds.

"I think Dopey from _Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs _is taller than you," Seth continues with a chuckle.

To which I also laugh and look over at Carlisle who is trying hard not to as well.

"Isn't that the movie with the evil witch, and doesn't Dopey have a beard?" Bella asks.

We all nod our heads to answer her question, and she huffs.

"You're all mean," Bella says giving us all her best bitch brow. "And you two," she growls turning her attention fully to Seth and Leah. "I hope you like worms, because that's what you're getting for dinner tonight."

I can see they're all wearing the same silly smirk. Suddenly, the three of them stick their tongues out at each other, at the same time. Bella then turns her attention back to me, and I can see the evil glint in her eyes, and I am inexplicably excited to see what she has to say.

"Edward, be nice or you'll eat worms too!"

I chuckle at her and smile, loving this fun side of Bella that I've yet to see.

Smirking, Carlisle brings us back to order. "Okay, let's get back to going through all this information. Both Leah and Seth are very healthy. A little on the tall side of the scale for their age, but they are perfectly proportioned in height to weight and completely up to date on all immunizations. I've noted their childhood illnesses on the record. You've done really well in taking care of them, Bella." He gives her a smile. "Would you both like a lollipop?" Carlisle asks, and both Seth and Leah nod taking one each.

"Thank you, Dr. Carlisle," they both say before putting the treats in their mouths.

"Bella, can I have a quick word with you, please? Carlisle can watch Seth and Leah for a minute or two; we'll be just outside the door?" Bella looks at Seth and Leah who both shrug their shoulders and turn back to Carlisle and begin talking to him. I walk Bella out the door and close it behind us.

"Are you working at UW tonight?"

She looks up at me. "Yes, I told Mr. Brophi that I would be a bit late because I had an appointment. But I would try to get there on time."

I let out a sigh. "Look, it is already half-past four. By the time you get a bus home with Seth and Leah, you'll only have time to make them dinner; maybe not even enough time for that. You definitely won't have time to sit for a few minutes and eat with them before you'll have to leave again. If you'll let me, I could run you home."

She bites her lip and closes her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's nice of you to ask me, but I. . .I don't think that I can sit in the car. It's just. . .I can't do it."

I nod my head at her then smile. "Okay, stay calm Bella. How about we make a compromise, how about the three of you join me for dinner at the diner around the corner? After we eat, you can take the bus to campus so you can get to work on time, and I will take Seth and Leah to Zafrina's. That way you won't miss having dinner with the kids, and you aren't late for work. What do you say?"

She is still looking at me as if I am crazy. "Edward, that's very kind of you, but I'm already taking up too much of your time. You really don't need to keep spending money on us."

"I know that Bella, and this is about want, not need. First, I enjoy our time together and would like to spend more time with you and get to know you better. Second, I would like to learn more about Seth and Leah, who are a big part of your life. As for the money, consider the cost as a bonus for the inconvenience this appointment has cost you. But, above all and most importantly, I know that you want to spend time with them before you work, and this will allow you to have that extra time with them."

I give her my best sad puppy dog eyes and pout. She again laughs at me shaking her head at my foolery, but I just keep the face up and clasp my hands together as if I am begging.

"Okay, okay, fine! Yes, we will come with you to the diner, just no more of that sad face. Are you sure you don't mind taking them to Zafrina's afterwards?" She smiles as she speaks.

I shake my head and smile back, confirming that I do not mind. With my answer, she opens the door and walks back into the office.

We collect our things before heading to the diner across from the hospital. It is not the best or fanciest place, but it serves a full menu to choose from. I'm glad she agreed to this, at least I know she is eating something substantial for dinner tonight before she heads off to work.

We all sit and chat; Seth and Leah tell Bella about what they did at school. I'm stunned by how much they speak, until I see Bella's face, noticing how happy she is as she listens to their stories. When her eyes meet mine, I see then that she has a shadow of pain in them, and it dawns on me that she missed out on all this. She loves hearing their stories, but they sadden her because she never had the opportunity to experience it.

Since I know Bella can't read, I immediately point out the dinner special. Bella and I order the hot beef and gravy. Seth and Leah both have a cheese burger and fries. The best part is when the four chocolate milkshakes we ordered arrive. We have a wonderful time eating together, and I love watching the interaction between Bella and her younger siblings. She may only be their big sister, but you could tell that she is the best mother they could ever have.

"I love you both; I'll be home soon. Be good for Mr. Masen, sit nicely in his car with no fighting and be good for Zafrina. I'll be home at my normal time, and I will see you both when I get back." She hugs them, giving each a kiss on their head.

"Yuck Bella, I'm getting too old for kisses, plus you're a girl." Seth wipes the kiss away.

"Seth, as Zafrina says. . .you need to suck it up and deal with it. Because, I just love giving you kisses and hugs. In fact, I think I will give you another." At that she grabs him, covering him in kisses.

"Bella, stop please, come on! Please!" Seth begs. However, Bella continues kissing him a bit longer before letting him go.

"Edward, do you have a sister like this?" Seth asks, nodding his head in Bella's direction.

"I do have a sister, sort of. She is my adopted sister, but she is a bi. . .very annoying person and she doesn't ever kiss me."

Seth turns to Bella, and he is about to talk when I carry on speaking. "However Seth, I always kiss her on the cheek when we have family dinners, and my mom always used to kiss me on the head before and after school. One time my mom even came to school, and it was during an assembly. She told everyone that I forgot to give her a good bye kiss, so she kissed me in front of everyone. I never forgot to kiss her good bye after that."

Seth looks horrified and then looks to Bella and gives her a kiss. "I'm sorry Bella, I love you, please don't ever do that to me." Bella rubs the top of his head and looks at me.

I move over to stand next to her. "It's a true story, and I might add that I was fourteen at the time." I raise my eyebrow at her.

She looks at me biting her lip and shaking her head; I can tell she is holding back her laughter. We wait with her until her bus comes, and then I drive Seth and Leah home.

"Well hello there, Edna. Hi Seth and Leah, you know the drill," Zafrina cackles. Seth and Leah walk in as they take off their jackets and shoes, placing them where they belong, before heading over to the couch.

"Hey Zafrina, can I ask you about when they first moved in?" I look in Seth and Leah's direction, before turning to look back at her.

"Yes, come on in, would you like some tea or coffee?" she asks, turning to walk in front of me as she heads towards the kitchen.

"Coffee would be great, thank you." She nods her head and begins making it. She sets a cup down in front of me, along with a sugar bowl and a creamer jug. "I just need to go and give this to Seth and Leah." She walks away with two juice boxes and a bowl of popcorn. It is about five minutes later when Zafrina returns, with a black book in her hand.

"Okay, let's see shall we. . .Sue Swan came to see the apartment in February 2006. Shit, that was five years ago, time travels so fast. I had thought that it was just over the four year mark, God! Well she paid for the first four months up front, which got her to June. She moved in on the last week of February, writing down on the form that it would be herself, Isabella, her eighteen year old step-daughter, and her own two infant children, Seth and Leah."

She looks at me and I nod my head. "So you have met her then?"

"Yes, I showed her the apartment. She was a bit too snotty for my liking, and I got a bad vibe from her, but I never judge a book by it's cover, so I gave her a chance. I only saw her a few days in March and April. I didn't even know that they were there most of the time. I remember thinking that she must never see her kids, because she was always going places. But then again, I always thought the kids were at their father's because they were never noisy. I never saw any of them except her. It was in April when she came over to inform me that she had to go away on business and that her step-daughter, Isabella, would be looking after the kids.

"I remember asking her if Isabella was old enough to be doing that. Her only response was to say that Isabella was eighteen, and she showed me an ID. I also remember her telling me that her dad had died, and she began to cry. I melted at her stories and was sucked into feeling sorry for her. She paid another two month's rent in advance before she left. The apartment was paid up to the end of August.

"I still did not hear or see any of the kids. Then around the end of April, I start knocking on the door to make sure they were okay. That is when I began to talk to Isabella; it was fucking hard at the time because she wouldn't look at me. Honestly, she looked like she wasn't eating. I was going to report it and began to watch her with the kids more closely. She always made sure they were clean, tidy, and happy. There wasn't a lot of food in the house, so she went without so that they could eat."

I frown, her lack of weight making more sense now. I look at Zafrina, seeing that this upset her also.

"But I just couldn't do it. . .report them to the authorities. As far as I could tell, there was no abuse being done to them by her; she just needed more money to pay for things. She was really great with them, and she clearly loved them, putting their needs first before her own."

I nod my head as I remember seeing that each time she was with them. Today showed that they are clearly very close to one another.

She continued. "It was June when I was walking along the park, and I saw them. She was trying to sell her pictures to make some money. She was taking them from place to place asking if anyone wanted to buy one. One time, I remember she went to a store and brought the babies with her. It began to rain while they were out, and little Leah got cold. I saw Isabella take her own coat off and put it on Leah to keep her warm and dry. When she came home, Isabella was soaked to the bone and shivering. Yet, she was carrying both the kids, as well as, two bags of food on each arm. That day, I managed to convince her to allow me to watch the children so she could go to the market or even to work if she wanted to get a job. I had to make it sound like it was best for them, it was the only way she would allow me to help her. I could have kicked my own ass when I saw how upset she became; she thought she had done something wrong. That is how I began to watch them."

She shrugs as if she is attempting to get rid of a bad memory. "Slowly, she started to leave them with me when she needed to. It was the end of July when she asked Aro for a job. I'm still not one hundred percent sure she knows what goes on in there. Aro of course, told her no. He knew who she was, and after she left he called me. He wanted to make sure she'd gotten back here safely. But she hadn't arrived yet, so he went looking for her and found her talking to one of those dip-shits that pimp out girls on Washington Street.

"He really fucking scared her that night; half of me wanted to kill him, while the other half knew that he had to show her what those girls go through each and every day. He only did it so that she would stay away and not talk to them again. Aro called Amun; he is my older son and owner of this apartment building. He got him to lower the rate of her rent and make sure it included most of her utilities. By the end of August, Aro called Marcus and got her the job at the college. A few months after that, he found her a job at the hotel."

She stirred some sugar into her coffee, the spoon hitting the side in an elegant manner. "Then he got John Jenks, Jason's brother, to make her a fake social security number. She doesn't know that he did that; she doesn't want anyone getting into trouble with the police. I don't even think she knows what it is, so don't fucking mention anything about it. Marcus and Randall, the man who ran the hotel, both worked out what her pay would be. Going by what she should be paying in taxes and paid her using the fake number."

I pull at my hair. This is so fucked up; so many things here are so fucking wrong! Not to mention how lucky she was that Aro found her before the fucker of a pimp could have done something. What fucking mother does this to her step-daughter?

"I'm taking it that she hasn't been back then, this Mrs. Sue fucking Swan?"

Zafrina shakes her head. "Nope, and she better keep the fuck away. There is a part of me that wants her to come back, because I've had five fucking years to plan the shit that I want to do to her. But right now, I need Isabella to realize that what she did to her throughout her life was wrong. She needs to know and learn that those two over there are so much better without their mother. I can't do that until she's strong enough to understand this."

I look at her and frown; surely Bella knows that what this so called mom has done is wrong.

"Don't look at me like that! She doesn't understand, Edna; she never had a normal upbringing. She didn't have contact with anyone; so she doesn't know what a mom is supposed to do. All she knows is, they say a lot of shit to you and leave."

I close my eyes and nod my head.

_Fuck, of course she wouldn't, it wasn't until I had friends that I knew my mom was different. That's why she only seems to have pity and understanding for Sue Swan. It is truly a miracle that she can be so loving and good to Seth and Leah, since she clearly never got love from her mother. I wonder if her father was at least decent to her. Wait he never allowed her to attend school, so how decent could he have been?_

"Don't stress Edna, we'll get her there. You've already changed her. I see it; she talks more to me, and she always smiles about going to work. Did you know you have helped me learn things, too? I didn't know she couldn't read. I mean, I knew she found it hard, but I didn't know how hard. She told me you're teaching her. Just keep doing what you're doing, as you told her, baby steps."

I open my eyes and look at her. I no longer see the crazy women that I first thought she was, but instead a kind-hearted woman who has been looking after someone.

"Thank you," I say and she looks at me and frowns. "You know, for making me stalk her. You were right; she did surprise me. I will try my best to not fuck up."

She nods her head. "You better not Edna or…"

I hold up my hand, stopping her mid-sentence. "Yeah, I know, you'll kill me."

She shakes her head. "Oh Edna, you'll wish I had done that; but fuck, you won't be that lucky. If you hurt her, then your ass is mine till you are old and grey. You better get going or you will be late getting to Aro's." I look at her and then to my watch, seeing that it is half-past six already.

"I will need that social security number, so I can have it all under the one payment."

She nods here head. "I'll text Aro and have him give it to you tonight."

I get up to head out and feel a sense of relief knowing that Zafrina looks out for Bella, Seth, and Leah the way she does.

Calling out, I tell them, "Seth, Leah, I'll see you both later, have a nice night."

They both look at me and wave. "Bye Edward," they say in unison.

I give Zafrina one last smile before heading out.

**~HCV~**

"Hello Sally, don't you just look adorable in your little kitty cat suit. You may crawl up on the bed, and you may use your hands. Soon, I will have some cream for you. Does my kitty want to come over to suck on my cock and find the cream?"

I watch as she crawls across the bed toward my voice. The black vinyl body suit is cut out to have her breasts and crotch completely in view. I can see the wetness dripping down her legs. Out of all the girls here at Aro's, she is always ready for me. I know she gets excited by the sound of my voice, especially when I talk dirty to her. She loves to role play, but I refuse to do the school girl thing. Lately, I no longer have the desire to have Sally 'The Maid' either.

"Hmm, does Anthony's little kitty like to scratch?" I ask as she drags her nails across the sheets between my legs. "Is Sally kitty ready to work to get some cream?"

I watch as she rubs her hands up my thighs. Normally by now I am rock hard. She does have a fine body, but my cock isn't responding. I can see her shock as she touches me, and without skipping a beat she pulls my semi soft cock into her mouth. As I watch her, I could not shake the feeling that this is all wrong. It isn't until I closed my eyes, that I am able to respond to her. I normally love directing the movements that the girls make when I'm getting head, but I can't bring myself to touch her. Don't get me wrong; when I come, it always feels amazing. But, I know I'm done. Without reaching climax, I pull back.

"Sally, I have a lot of things on my mind tonight, so I'm going to cut this short. You will still be given your full wage for the whole time. Garrett will be in shortly to remove your blindfold." I get up and make my way towards the door, opening it to find Garrett on the stool down the hall.

"Anthony my friend, is everything all right with the room?" Garrett asks as he gets up and walks over to me, with a frown.

"Yes, Garrett, everything is fine, I just need to talk to Aro. Could you find out if he is available?" He nods his head, walking into the room to first help Sally. I step into the private room to put my clothes back on and wait for Garrett to knock letting me know Sally has left.

I head to Aro's offices and find Felix standing outside of it. He frowns at me and points to a seat. "Aro is speaking with a prick right now, take a seat."

I give him a curt nod and sit down closing my eyes as I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to calm my breathing while I attempt to figure out what exactly just happened. I am still unsure what went wrong in the room, but it felt different.

_Fuck no; it was just because Bella was on my mind. . .that is why everything felt wrong. You feel bad that there is a rather good chance that someone will hurt her physically._

"Anthony would you like a drink from the bar? Aro shouldn't be too much longer; he is just going over the rules with Paul again." Felix's voice breaks through my thoughts.

I shake my head. I want to keep my head clear, well clearer than it was a few minutes ago. "No thank you Felix, I'm fine."

I wish Aro would just throw Paul out, he is a yuck-ball, everyone knows it. _Wait, Paul, I wonder if he is the same Paul that touched Bella when she was here. No, it can't be, but Felix said that he was going through the rules again. No, Paul is a common name and even if it is him, what are you going to do about it? Fuck him up, that's what. Really? Yes really. The fucking shit he had said to her that night, I should have beaten him down then and there. I was too busy being a prick myself, I have three words for you. . .pot, meet kettle. Fuck, why was I such a prick? The point is still there Assward, stop arguing with me and fucking ask if it is him or not. _

I look at Felix and clear my throat to get his attention. "Is that the same Paul who grabbed Bella when she was here a few weeks ago?"

He tilts his head at me. "Bella?"

I sigh, forgetting that he doesn't necessarily know her by name. "She's about this high." I hold my hand up to roughly where she stands. "Thin, has brown hair and eyes, very pretty, came to see Aro."

Felix nods his head. "Ah yes, Isabella! Sorry, I didn't know you knew her, but yes, it is the same guy that put his hands on her."

I stand up, angry that the fucker is in the other room.

"But, I am glad that I am not the only one to see her like that."

I look at him like he has lost his ever loving mind. "Like what, what do you mean?" I clearly hear the anger in my voice.

"I mean that Isabella is a very pretty woman. I really enjoyed kicking the fuck out of him for what he did and said to her that night." I look at him dumbfounded; fuck, I did say that she was pretty out pouts. "Aro says that I can't touch him anymore, unless he gives the order."

He gives me a smile before stepping to the side of the office door. "You'll only have a minute or two before he will call me in." He gives me a grin. That is all the incentive I need. I open the door and head into the office.

"It will not happen again, I didn't know she was a friend. . ."

I hear the fucker say as he turns to look at me. He smirks at me, and all I see when I look towards him was Bella's face when he told her that he was going to fuck her and ruin her for every other guy.

"Anthony, what are you doing in here? Please step out, and I will talk to you in a moment. Felix!" I hear Aro say as I pull back my arm and hit that Paul fucker square in the nose.

I feel great pleasure from hearing the cracking noise; I know I broke his nose.

"Fuck you, motherfucker, it just started fucking healing. What the fuck is your problem, you cocksucker?"

I pull my fist back and hit him again, but as I go to hit him a third time, I feel someone pull me back. I shake them off before pulling the piece of shit up to me.

"How can you let him back in here after what he did to Bella? I thought you were watching over her?" I shout to Aro, as I hold the son-of-a-bitch by his throat.

I hear Aro sigh as he looks at Felix, who then grabs me in an iron grip. We hear a chuckle, and I look to Paul. He looks me up and down before he grins at me again.

"Bella? I take it you're talking about the hot little pure girl that was in here. I saw you look at her; you must want her as much as I do. Well, I do like to share, hell you can even have her first. That would be best; because when I am done, I am sure she will be too sore for anyone else. And hell, if you like to watch pain, you can watch while I fucking ruin her for any other man ever again."

I feel Felix's grip loosen, and I break free and hit the fucker again.

"That's for Bella, and if you ever so much as think about her again, I will fuck you up so bad that your mother won't be able to recognize you. Then, I will make sure that you know what it feels like to be fucked so hard that you're ruined for anyone else. I'm sure that my buddy Aro here can find some big motherfucker that needs a new bitch." Suddenly, I get pulled back and pushed to the side.

I watch as Felix picks Paul up by his throat and slams him against the wall. Aro stands in front of him.

"I told you that you were to never so much as think of Isabella again." Aro stops and glances to me. "Bella is like a baby sister to me, and I care very deeply for her. So do a lot of the people that work here." Looking back at Paul, he sneers. "I was going to give you a second chance, but I don't think my girls will like you, and I never put them in a room with someone they dislike."

"I am sure Jane would not mind being in a room with him," Felix grins.

As he says this, Paul looks scared shitless. "Fuck no, please no."

Aro smacks him across the face and jabs his finger harshly into his chest. "You are no longer welcome; therefore, you are to stay away from here. You are also not to touch Isabella; do not go anywhere near her. If you break either of these two orders, you will end up in Jane's favorite room for days. And I do mean several days." Felix drags a crying Paul away. "Shut the door," Aro calls out, and I see Garrett come up and do so with a bang. Aro then moves back to his seat and sits down rubbing his face.

"Anth. . .Edward what in the name of God was that about? I've known you for fucking five years, and I have never seen you that angry. I would never have considered you to be a violent man."

I sit on the seat opposite him. "Fuck, I really don't know. I spent time with Bella and the kids today. When I dropped the kids at Zafrina's, she told me about when they first moved here; it's just been playing through my mind since. All the things they took from her and robbed her of. She didn't even get to go to fucking school; they didn't teach her shit. She has learned everything she knows by herself or from friends. She is innocence personified. Did you know that she couldn't even read?"

I look at Aro and see him shaking his head.

"And for that puke to talk about her and her innocence makes me mad. I will fucking end that motherfucker if he ever comes near her. That is one thing in this world that is hers and only hers. She should be able to give that to the man she loves and who loves her back. Her purity is the only thing that hasn't been taken from her, the one thing she wasn't robbed of."

"You took her to see Carlisle, so you know for certain that she is a virgin?" Aro asks.

"Yes she is, and she will never sell that; I will not let her."

"Me either; I meant what I said to that bastard. If I find that he so much as thinks of Isabella, you won't have to end him. I will let Jane have him." The thought makes me shudder; I have heard stories about Jane. She is a very tiny girlish looking woman, who enjoys making full-sized grown men whimper like little cry babies.

I shake my head and jump up, pacing back and forth. "Aro, tell me what the fuck you showed her that night you found her talking to that pimp?"

He looks up at me then to the door as it opens.

"Is everything all right, boss?"

Aro nods his head. "Yes we're fine Felix; can you bring two double shots of Drambuie on the rocks?" Felix nods his head and shuts the door. "Let me have a drink, and then I will tell you, believe me you might need one too." I walk up and down his floor growling as Felix brings in the drinks and leaves.

"Edward, sit the fuck down, before you wear a hole in my carpet. My mother will kill me and you both if you do, she picked this out." I sit back down and groaned.

"The first time I saw Isabella with Seth and Leah was when I was helping my mother look after the apartment building for Amun, while the fucker was away. My mom told me what she knew about her, which wasn't much at all. To say I was surprised when she came here asking for a job is an understatement. The pain and desperation was so clear on her face, and it killed me to see her so broken.

"When I said no, I knew that she was close to making a bad choice. You see, everyone working in my establishment is here by their own choice, not because they have no other option. Some are sex addicts, others are subs who don't want a full-time Dom, and then there are those who just want to work here to have the ability to express and live out some of their fantasies. Some of my girls are here to find the perfect one for them. Isabella's reasons for coming here were. . .no _are_ nothing like that. She does not belong in this world, and it was clear she knows nothing about this side of life. As guys, we don't usually see the whole virginity thing as important, not as much as women do anyway. But with Isabella, it is like she doesn't even know anything about it at all.

"She is emotionally immature for her age. No. . .let me restate that, she is smart and very mature in a lot of ways, like how she handles complications in everyday life, but intimately and emotionally is where she is lacking. I really don't think she's been shown love in any capacity apart from Seth and Leah. She is teaching them love and respect, even though I have the feeling that she has never been allotted any in her lifetime.

"When she first walked in here, I saw two things that were abundantly clear about her. I am going to tell you the second thing I noticed first. I saw a lost and scared young lady who was finding things very hard to manage in today's economy. She has been hurt; how bad I really can't tell you, but I know there is a shit load of years of hurt there. And she does not belong here. But the thing that scared me the most was the first thing I noticed about her. I saw an innocent girl who would have some of the guys in my club jizzing in their pants just to look at her. All it would take would be a cute little school girl outfit, hair put into pony tails, some knee socks, and the whole pure thing would have made me a shit load of money."

I growl at him, feeling the anger coming back. He holds his hands up.

"Edward, I am in the sex business. I always look at things that way first, that is why I went after her. I knew some of the uncaring pimps wouldn't see the hurt; they would only see the money. When I found her there, Garrett took care of the pimp, and I showed her around. I took her to see some of the girls in the house that the pimp ran. Some were beaten up pretty badly, and quite a few had tracks from drug use. We went into a part of the place that was being used by clients. There were all kinds of lowlifes in there. Some of the whores were getting slapped around. There were girls using drugs in plain sight. I took her from one hell hole to another, trying to show her the life she would have to lead if she got involved.

"I saw something that was disgusting, but pure luck for me and my scare tactic. I knew it would show her the horrible side to it all. A young working girl was being raped, and she was screaming for her pimp to help her, but the fucker stood there filming it. It was because the girl kept ten dollars of the money she got from a client, so that she could buy some food for her son. Isabella was shocked and shaking after observing this for only a minute or two. I sent Garrett to sort the fucker out and save the girl. The girl came back here with me, and she now happily works for me. She helped me by explaining to Isabella all the horrible things that had happened to her."

I look at him and it makes me sick knowing that she has been exposed to something like that. I am also somewhat saddened by the fact that Aro has a girl who has been through so fucking much working here.

"I helped her to get clean and off the drugs. She gave up her son, because she knew that she couldn't look after him. It became too much for her while she was detoxing. She gave him to his father's parents. It was about a year later that she started working for me. This is the only thing she knew, but she is well taken care of here, and I make sure she sees a therapist once a month; that is one of my rules for my girls.

"She is always in charge whenever she is in her room, and she only sees the guys who want to be dominated. Slowly, she has built up the trust she lost with her son. She visits him every other weekend and talks to him on the phone every night."

I nod my head at him.

"I didn't want that life for Isabella. I will do anything to keep her away; she deserves to be loved and cherished. All the girls here think the world of her. They all have come to love her very much and around here, she is not invisible," he chuckles.

"Most people would describe my girls as whores or scum, but out of all the people out there, they are the only ones that see Isabella for who she really is. Most people are too busy talking shit and looking down their noses to see the girl she really is. It saddens me when people treat her like she is 'scum,'" Aro makes the air quotes.

"The truth is most of the people who spend their time thinking of her as scum, are truly scum themselves. I only see her and how good and pure her heart is."

I let out a breath, and sigh over the fact that I too treated and judged her badly for no reason.

"Okay, my mother said you'd need this." He hands me a folder full of paperwork. "It is all the paper work Mrs. Swan filled out for the apartment, plus the little I found after she left. Isabella's social security number is on the back. There are some pictures in there of Isabella, Seth, and Leah when I first met them as well."

"Thanks, Aro, for telling me all of this. I promise to only help her and not put her in harm's way." I stand up, after we shake hands and head back out the door.

I look over the paperwork he gave me, but I am no closer to finding out anything new about Bella than when I arrived. The picture of her from five years ago is shocking. She's clearly put on weight since then, but she looks so fucking ill in the photo. If I didn't know she was alive, I would say she was half-dead in the picture. There are no other words that can describe the way she looked, and it breaks my heart to see her so unhealthy.

I talk briefly to Carlisle, who does nothing but praise Bella's efforts in taking good care of the twins. I dodge the bullet when he asks me again about Aro. I only give him a small amount of information. As I look at the photo again, I feel myself smile in wonder; Bella really is something. I just hope I can be as good of a friend to her as she needs and deserves.

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><p><strong>AN: So you learned a lot this chapter about smaller things, and about how Aro and Zafrina have protected Bella, Seth, and Leah. What are your thoughts and expectations at this point in the story? All reviews get a teaser, see you next Thursday.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Normal disclaimer applies, the names and Twilight related things belong to S. Meyer. This storyline, and the character development within this story, belong to WeeKittyAndTAT. We want to say a special thanks to all the usual suspects who help Nikky and I make this story what it is. All mistakes are still ours. This will be the last of the graphic scenes of Edward partaking in sex at Aro's club. We have changed nothing, this was the way the story was intended and has stayed. Kasi & Nikky.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Nicknames<strong>

The last three weeks have flown by. Bella's reading is coming along smoothly, and she is doing incredibly well. Her spelling still needs work, mainly on her understanding of the rules like, _i _before_ e _except after_ c_. She also loses her way at times when dealing with silent letters. Her penmanship is a little messy, but it may be because she is left-handed, and learning from a right-handed teacher. She is improving each day, showing determination, and never giving up.

Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle have been joining us on Wednesday's for lunch. They all adore her, and they each have given her their own nickname. Jasper calls her 'Little Lady', Carlisle calls her 'Little One', and to Emmett she is 'Little Bit'. I hate that in a way they've made some claim to her. It pisses me off even more because they call her Bella too, so I don't even have that to myself. Yeah, I know I'm a selfish prick. I was an only child most of my life, I don't share well with others. The last few days I have tried to come up with a name that I can call her, one that only I would use, but so far nothing has stuck. I have tried Princess, Kiddo, and Sweet Pea, but they all make her sound a bit younger. I then tried Izzie Bells, and Bella really didn't like that one. When I said it, all I saw was a lot of pain in her eyes. So I moved on quickly to B and Ella, but they didn't do her justice. Honey, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, Doll, Little B, Cinder-Bella, none have been good enough for her. Fuck, thinking about this is winding me up so much.

***HCV***

"Good evening, Anthony, you seem a little distracted; is everything okay?"

I look up and give Felix a nod. "Yes, I'm fine; does Garrett have Carmen all set up for me?"

"He's just in there helping her with her blindfold, he should be right out."

"Great, let him know I'm here, I'm going to get changed." With a nod as his only acknowledgement to my words, I step into my changing room. I quickly change from the suit I was wearing into my soft black sleep pants and slide my feet into my slippers. I grab the robe from the hook on the door and slip my arms into it. I don't think I will be able to keep coming here as much, because for the past three weeks or more, I have only been able to get off thinking of Bella. It makes me sick to feel this desire for her, but I can't help myself. I have tried to fuck her out of my system; I even tried to let a woman control me. Nothing is working, I'm only able to get hard when I close my eyes and imagine it's Bella I'm touching. Aro was surprised when once again I didn't request Irina's services. On the average, I was seeing her at least once a week. I haven't been with Irina in over a month. I don't want or need fast and hard sex right now, I enjoy the restraining and the domination, but the rough hardcore fucking isn't what I need at the moment. Exiting the dressing room, I see Garrett in the hall.

"Good evening, Anthony," Garrett says with a nod.

"Hey Garrett, is Carmen ready for me?"

"Yes Sir, she's all fixed up."

"Thanks," I say as I tap twice on the door, before swinging it open.

The sight before me is mouth-watering, but I still would find it more desirable if the girl with the long, dark, braided hair on the bed was much thinner and slightly shorter. I walk slowly to the bed, and trace my finger up the soft flesh of her leg. Reaching her knee, I let my fingers caress the underside of her knee before I bring it up so her foot is flat on the bed. I remove my robe and slippers. Walking to the small table along the wall in the room, I grab the restraints I want and the clit and nipple clamps laying there. Without talking I move to the bed and touch her shoulder, tapping twice she raises her arm for me. I clasp the cuff to her wrist and place her arm back on the bed. I move to the other side, using the same motions, and put the other restraint cuff on her other wrist. Picking up the collar, I trace my finger under her chin and she leans her upper body up enough to rest on her elbows. I latch the collar around her neck, making sure to not have it too tight. "Color?" I ask her in my deep demanding tone.

"Green, Sir," she says.

"No more words unless you are asked a direct question, or need to safe word."

Placing my finger against her forehead, she drops back to the mattress. The collar has five lengths of chain hanging from it. I attach two of the chains to her wrist restraints. That allows her arms to lie beside her. These two chains are nothing more than decoration, but the flush of her skin tells me they are a sensory turn on for her. I gently place her other leg on the bed, the same way as the first. I put an ankle cuff on each of her legs; these have a short length of chain already attached to the D ring. I use that chain to connect the ankle cuff to the wrist cuffs on each side of her. With her heels tucked up to her ass and her hands flat on the bed she can't move too much. Pushing her knees out, I have her spread open on display for me. I can see her wetness pooling in the crack of her ass and her swollen nub is standing out proudly at attention. I pinch it hard enough to make sure she is ready for the clamp I am going to put on. This is not a biting alligator clamp; this is a rubber covered clamp that will give more pleasure than pain. As I attach the clamp, I pull the longer chain down between her breasts and connect the clamp to the collar. I move back up the bed and go through the same process with both her nipples. Once I have all five of the chains from the collar at the right tension and the clamps in place, each movement will give tugs to her most sensitive buds. I take the shiny, silver dildo and start tracing the lengths of chain. She is such a good girl and keeps her mouth shut. I still wish it was Bella I was giving this pleasure to. At that thought my mouth closes around one of her clamped nipples and I hear her gasp. I lavish both her nipples and move down to rest below her. I can see all her wetness, and the urge to taste it is overwhelming. Licking up her slit I dream of how sweet my Bella will taste. After several gushes of fluid, I am straining in my pants to be inside my girl. I know she is going to be so tight, I will need to be careful. I sink into her. . .the wetness and the heat is hugging me and has me ready to enrapture. The euphoria I feel as I continue to thrust into her is so blissful; I am already close to the end for me. As I pump into her the last time I click the clamp loose on her clit and scream out, "Be. . .fuck." I quickly remove the rest of the clamps and then the restraint collar and cuffs. I put on my robe, and slip my feet into my slippers. I walk over and caress the skin of her forehead and leave the room.

**~HCV~**

Driving home thinking of how Bella was in my mind the entire time I was fucking Carmen disturbs me. As I park my car I notice Jasper's car is here, and my mind starts to go into overdrive.

_Why is he here, he knows that I go to Aro's on Friday night. He would have called me if something important happened. Unless it's Bella, what if something happened to her? Oh my God, something like the night I was following her, but this time no one was there to stop it. I wasn't there because I was too busy fucking Carmen and I can't even say I enjoyed it as much as I used to. Fuck, stop thing about fucking girls, get out of the fucking car and find out if she needs you, or if something happened._

I jump out quickly and run up to his door. "What's wrong? What's going on? Why are you here? Are Bella and the kids alright? Did something happen when she was walking home?" Jasper looks at me as I fire off question after question. Jasper opens his door, making me step back.

"Edward, relax why would you think something happened to Bella?"

I let out a sigh and grit my teeth together. "Is she okay or not? You never come here this late, and she walks home. God, she walks fucking home at night through a fucking park, and she has been attacked there once. I stopped it remember? Just why in the fuck are you here, if everything is okay?"

Jasper looks at me almost as if he is in shock. "Edward, as far as I know she is alright. The last time I saw or spoke to her was here on Wednesday. I came here because Alice was cleaning out her closet, and weeding through things to make more room for the big shopping trip she has planned. I've got about three bags full of clothes in the trunk. I thought that my Little Lady could put them to good use. As you know, Alice won't wear much of anything more than once, and quite a few still have the tags on them. I brought them over tonight, before she could give them all to a second-hand shop, which she would have done at seven tomorrow morning." He gets out of the car and moves round to the trunk taking them out. I let out a sigh taking two of the large bags from him.

"I am sorry Jazz, it's just. . .fuck when I saw you I just thought. . .fuck. Bella you know, I don't want her hurt and she's been on my mind the entire fucking day, she's always on my mind. I'm just not used to this Jazz. I like her; I enjoy spending time with her. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I made a real friend. A real friend like you and Emmett are, not someone who wants to be around for what I can do for them. I don't want her hurt, and she's been through way too much already." Jasper grabs the third bag from the trunk before nodding his head toward my house.

"Yes, I agree with you Edward and I understand what you mean. Have you made your first appointment with Peter yet?"

I open my door shaking my head. "No not yet, I really haven't had the time. With college stuff, Midnight Sun, and helping Bella learn to read and write; I've been busy."

Jasper sets down the bag, and releases yet another sigh. "Edward, as your friend I'm here if you need to talk. As a psychologist, I strongly recommend that you talk to someone soon. Edward, I do mean soon, because you're not helping anyone by getting so worked up. What just happened is a form of anxiety attack. Your fear almost caused you to have another panic attack. They're not just going to go away. You need to talk to someone to help deal with it."

I look at him, then close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. "You can't help her if you stay on this path, Edward. She needs to talk to someone too. Just think of how you would feel if she doesn't talk to someone. What if it was her who keeps putting it off, and you have to watch her slowly lose it and get closer and closer to the edge."

I nod my head at him, fuck! I would drag her to see someone if I had to. "Make me an appointment; evenings only, I won't take off work. Just let me know when it is, and I'll be there."

Jasper nods his head. "Have a good night, Edward." My head rests against the door after Jasper leaves. I feel the restriction in my chest, the sharp pain, shortness of breath and my heart is pounding. _What is fucking wrong with me, I can't believe I got myself so worked up about Bella, but fuck I'm so fucking glad that wasn't why he was here. It doesn't mean that she is okay, though. She could be lying hurt in the fucking park all beaten and broken. Well, more broken than what she already is. Fuck, don't think like that. Zafrina would have called me by now. Bella is fine. She's at home in bed. I'll get to see her tomorrow when I drop off the bags of clothes. If she's alright, that is. She didn't go to the police the last time. Maybe they went after her again, knowing she's an easy target. God only knows because it has happened before. Just because she went home, doesn't mean that she's okay. Anything could have happened. Fuck, it's after midnight, it's not like I can go over there and knock on the door. I just want to check on her, but if I go over there she will think I'm nuts. _

I pace my floor pulling at my hair. _I should call her. I would know by the sound of her voice if she's okay or not. Fuck, I can't call her at this time of night. Why in the fuck can't she just take the fucking bus, instead of walk? You know what, just fucking call her. Fuck!_

I pick up my phone and dial her number. After only four rings someone picks up. "Hello, Edward, is that you? Are you okay? Are you ill again?" As soon as I hear her sleepy voice I completely calm down; I release with great force the breath that I was holding. "Edward listen, I'm on my way. Are you at home? Do you want me to call Carlisle? Edward, where are you?"

Fuck, I hear her moving around, it sounds like she's getting dressed. "No Baby Bella, I'm fine. I just. . .fuck, I'm sorry that I woke you up. I just. . .I was worried that someone hurt you on your way home again."

I hear her let out a breath. "Are you really okay, Edward? I can come over if you need me too. Zafrina will watch Seth and Leah, I don't mind. You help me out all the time, if you want me to come over I will."

I smile at the phone, sliding down the wall I'm leaning against. "No Baby Bella, I'm really okay. I just had some kind of an anxiety attack. Jasper was here when I got home, and I thought he was here to tell me you were hurt. I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head. I just wanted. . .needed to hear your voice, to make sure you're okay." _Fuck, I really need to talk to someone._

"I am fine Edward, I am sorry I caused you to be so upset."

I shake my head. Fuck there is no reason she should feel bad about that, it's my mind that ran away with bad thoughts. "Baby Bella," I stop when I hear her chuckle. "What's so funny?" I ask, as I smile at the sound of her sweet giggling.

"I take it you finally found a nickname for me? You have called me Baby Bella three times now."

I frown, worrying that she doesn't like it. "Is that okay? I mean. . .I can keep looking for one. I know it sounds really stupid, but I want to have a name that no one but me can call you."

I hear her chuckle. "Edward, stop worrying so much. I told you when you asked, that it was okay for you to do that, and I like it. I think it is the best nickname of all of them." She chuckles some more. "Just don't tell Emmett I said that, or I'll start calling you Eddy. He'll have a fit, and his fits are worse than telling Seth he can't have ice cream."

I let out a laugh and I feel so much better knowing that she likes my name for her. I hear her yawn; reminding me that I woke her up. "Baby Bella, I am so glad you're okay. I'll let you get back to sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"What? Edward did you need me to work tomorrow? Wait tomorrow is Saturday, right?"

I chuckle again. "Yes Baby Bella, it is. But Jasper was here to drop off some things for you. I'll come by tomorrow, and I will bring them to you, if that's okay?"

I hear her yawn again. "Yes, that's fine Edward. I'll see you tomorrow, sleep well."

I smile at my phone again. "You too, my Baby Bella," I say as I hang up the phone. I feel so much better than I did, it's strange how calm I feel when I am with her or talking to her.

**~*HCV*~**

After a mediocre night of sleep, filled with strange dreams, I'm up, washed, and heading to Bella's apartment. I've never been inside her place, so a part of me is curious. Normally the only homes I'm ever in belong to Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper.

I park my car in the parking lot, using the code that Zafrina gave me. I grab all three bags, they are very heavy. There has to be a shit ton of clothes in them. It feels as if there is a whole fucking wardrobe of clothes. I know for a fact this isn't even an eighth of a rack of what Alice has. I look like fucking Santa Clause. Well, I would if I had a red suit on anyway.

I climb the stairs to the second floor walking past Zafrina's apartment and going around to Bella's door. I knock on the door, and hear laughter coming from the other side.

"Good morning, Edward," Bella says opening the door with a big smile on her face. She is dressed in her usual 'day off from work' clothes, which are far too big for her.

"Good morning, Baby Bella. These are for you. Alice, Jasper's wife, is about your size, and she is in need of some space to buy new clothes. She was getting rid of these, and Jasper thought that you might like them. Some of this stuff still has tags, and most of it was never worn more than once. Jasper said to tell you, he really wants you to have them."

Bella blushes a little. "Thank you. Would you like to come in?"

I smile, nodding my head. As I walk in, I try to control my facial expressions. The apartment is bare, there is next to nothing in the place. As you go into the apartment, you enter the living room. There is a love seat, a small thirteen inch color television, and a DVD player beneath it. Seth and Leah are sitting on the small sofa, reading books. Next to the television is a small bookcase with about twenty DVD's on it and some children's books.

"Good morning, Seth and Leah."

They both turn to me and smile. "Morning Edward," they say together, and then return to their books.

"Have you made your beds? I'll be looking on the way past." Bella says, looking at them and they nod their heads. "Are you okay to carry those to my room?"

I put a smile on my faces and nod. I follow her as she goes past two doors before she enters the third. Fuck, her room is small. I have a closet that is bigger than this. There is some drawing paper, pencils, some small tubs of paint, and her homework from me sitting on top of a small three drawer cabinet. There is an oil lamp, and a sleeping bag on the floor along the side of the cabinet. _Sleeping bag. . .fuck, she doesn't even have a damn bed. _On the back wall there are a few cardboard boxes stacked in which she puts her meager amounts of clothing in. I place the bags down next to the boxes, and she looks up at me.

"These are all clean, so all you will need to do is fold them and put them away. Jasper says there are a few pairs of shoes in here too."

"Edward, are you sure this is okay? I mean there is a lot here. You can give some to the second-hand shop. They sell stuff to get money to help different kinds of people."

I shake my head at her trying to slow my anger. It makes me mad to see just how little she has here, and she is trying to give more away to others. "No, Alice gave a bunch of other bags to those places, these are for you." I look at the room that is crowded with us both standing in it. I notice that there are no windows, lights, or outlets; fuck, this is a closet. _She fucking sleeps in a God damn closet! _"Baby. . ." _Fuck, I can clearly hear that my voice is strained. _I need to calm down. "Baby Bella, can you give me a tour?"

She looks at me and smiles, nodding her head like she is really proud and pleased.

"Come on, I'll show you around." She heads out and immediately points to the door across from hers. "That's mom's room, and I'm not ever allowed to go in there. So I can't show you that room." I notice her face falling a little as she moves back down the hallway. "This is the bathroom," she says opening the door. I can see that it's all clean and neat. "This is Seth and Leah's room. They've always shared a room." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. _Fuck, do I really want to see this? _She opens the door and my heart stops. I feel Bella move away from me as she enters the room. I look around the room, and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this was behind the door. The walls all have pictures of cowboys and Indians, fairies, princesses, and pirates. The panting is really fucking good; someone has taken a lot of time doing these.

There is a chest of drawers and a small clothes rack with Leah's clothes on it, a single bed with princess sheets on it. Then I see there is another chest of drawers and a bed with cowboy sheets on it, and a clothes rack, this time Seth's clothes are hanging on it. Both Leah and Seth seem to have a lot more clothes then Bella, but not as much as the average child would have. There are two boxes of toys and some more books. I look back to the wall and notice that there are more drawings that aren't yet painted. I look to Bella who is fixing the beds. "Baby," I say clearing my throat again. "Who did the pictures that are on the walls?"

She looks at me, to the paintings and then frowns a little. "Seth and Leah told me what they would like, and I drew it. I still have parts to finish, but I keep running out of paint. I saved up some money, so I will get some more of the pictures done soon." I look at her then at the wall. Fuck, Zafrina said she was good at drawing, but fuck she is really good.

"You did this for them?"

She nods her head. "I can't get them much, so I do this for them. It has taken me five years to get this much done. I know that their school friends have more, but I do what I can. I can't really get them bikes and other big toys, but I can do this for them." She gives me one of her typical half-smiles. "Come on, I'll show you the kitchen."

I follow her and we walk back to the living room, and go to were the kitchen is joined on to the east side. There is a small kitchen table and two chairs. She waves for me to have a seat, and I notice on the counter there are a row of piggy banks. There are eight of them and they are all different sizes and shapes. I look at them and frown. I look back at Bella who is making a snack.

"What's with all the piggy banks?"

She turns and looks at me. "That is so I can keep all the money separate. The bank that looks like a house is for the rent. The car bank is for electricity. The train bank is for the natural gas. The phone bank is for the phone bill. The princess bank, is Leah's for her allowance. The cowboy bank is for Seth and his allowance. The apple bank is for our groceries. Then that last one, the shoe bank, is for anything extra that we need or have to have." I try shaking the frown from my face. Where is her bank? What about money that she spends on herself?

"Bella baby, what about you? Don't you have piggy bank?"

She stops chopping and looks at me. "No, why would I? They are all I need. Besides I get myself razors, deodorant, and pads for when I have my period, that's enough money spent on me." She turns back and continues to chop up things.

I feel the rage of the situation settle over me and I ball my hand into a fits. Trying to calm my breathing, I count silently to ten in five different languages. "Would you like some tea, or coffee? I could ask Zafrina to loan me some if you do. I only have milk, orange juice, and water."

I look up at her and nod my head. "Yes, tea please, Baby Bella. If it isn't too much trouble," I say with a smile.

She smiles at me. "No, it's no trouble at all. I've never had anyone over before, well except Zafrina. She only has been here a couple of times, to put Seth and Leah to bed. Like when I served cocktails at the college thing, I was out later than normal that night. I have only done that a few times, I don't like to be away late. Anyway, I have never had a visitor before, so do you want any sugar for the tea?" she asks shaking her head a little as she bites her bottom lip.

"Yes, please, and I am sure it will be wonderful. I'm honored to be one of the few house guests you've had over."

"Can I leave Seth and Leah here with you for a few minutes? I promise that I will only be a minute or two, I just need to go to Zafrina's." I look at her to see that she seems to be excited at the thought of having me here. She is not embarrassed about her home, or the lack of furnishings. I feel myself calm down even more as I look at her.

I nod my head, letting her know that I will stay with Seth and Leah. "Yes, of course that's fine. Hey, just so you know, you're doing everything right, Baby." She blushes at me again, and I chuckle as she just about skips out of the apartment. I stand up look though her cabinets and see very little. There are a lot of things that are clearly for Seth and Leah, but not a lot of adult food choices. I didn't know how bad things were for her, or how bad they were before she worked for me. A lot of the food in here will feed Seth and Leah easily with some leftovers, but not really enough for what Bella should be eating. I let out a sigh, trying not to think about how little she gives herself. _Fuck, who am I kidding she doesn't give herself anything. _I hear the door open, and Bella comes back in with some tea bags and sugar in her hands.

I watch her as she finishes making Seth and Leah a snack and calls them in. She grabs the chair from the living room, and puts it at the table. Seth and Leah sit in the two other chairs, and Bella moves to the counter and leans against it. She's looking at me, Seth, and Leah, and gives me a smile I smile back at her.

"May I use your bathroom, Bella?" She nods her head and goes back to drinking her water. I head down the hall and go into the bathroom. Fuck this is bad; I open the cabinet and see mainly children's stuff. The only razor that I see is one of the super cheap disposable ones. The other products there are generic. There is no way that she spends more than maybe five dollars a month on herself. This just isn't right, and I wish I could figure out why she does nothing for herself.

"I need you to get dressed in warm clothes, we are going to the park and it's cold out today." I stop, looking at the door.

"Can I take my bat and ball with me? I need to be better at baseball, so I can help my team win."

I hear Bella chuckle. "Yes that's fine, both of you go get ready." I hear them move into their room.

"Bella, are you going to wear something that Edward brought for you?" Leah shouts.

"Yeah, you should and can he come with us? If he does he can be on my team," Seth shouts out louder and farther away from the rest of us.

"I am not sure if he has time, I think he has to work today. As for the clothes if you want me to wear something, then I will. Please, both of you, use indoor voices." I chuckle and hear her coming past the door, so I open it and the surprise makes her jump.

"I overheard, and I would love to come with you for a bit. I do agree with Seth and Leah, you should wear something out of the clothes that I brought over." My smile gets bigger as her blush appears over her face.

"Are you sure, don't you need to get to Midnight Sun?"

I shake my head. "I'm the boss, and I can do whatever I like. I would like to go with you, now get ready, I'll wait for you." She nods her head before moving away from me, and heads to her room. I feel a pang of guilt at making her change, there is really nothing wrong with what she has on.

"Baby Bella," I say stopping her in her tracks. "There is nothing wrong with what you have on now, you don't need to change. I'm sorry if you felt that I was bossing you around again."

She shakes her head at me. "No, I'll put something else on; I'll see you in a minute or two." She walks into her _room. Note the sarcasm the voice in my head screams, that is not a fucking room; it is a broom closet at best. She doesn't even have room or a fucking bed!_

I turn and see the bedroom that Bella informed me she was never allowed to enter, the bitch's room. _It will upset her if you go in there. Yeah, but I want to know what it looks like. You can't abuse her trust. I want to see if there is something, anything that would make me less fucking angry than I am now._

Before I know it, I'm opening the door. Holy fuck, there is a queen sized bed in here. Top of the line bedroom set, with matching dressers and vanity. The bedding is dust covered, but I know quality when I see it and this is all high end merchandise. I swallow loudly before I open the closet, and see a filing cabinet and a shit ton of clothes. The clothing is all from the same types of shops that Alice and Rose shop at. Fuck, even Tanya shopped in those stores. How fucking bad does that make this Sue woman? When an aggressive fucker like Eleazar even let his daughter, who he controlled like a toy, shop there when she needed clothes. Bella's lucky if she has anything that has ever been just hers. I move apart some of the clothes on the rack. The stale smell that waifs off of them, makes me ill. It is the same ungodly scent that Tanya wore all those years ago. I hate the smell so much it repulses me, still to this day. Why in the fuck am I even thinking of her, she has been gone for years now. Dead and buried, she's in the fucking past. I sigh and move quietly out of the room before Bella can find me.

I go back to the living room, and see her drawing notebook sitting on the small table. I pick it up and sit down before opening it. Shit, she really is good at drawing. These are fucking amazing, really good. She is wasting her time by cleaning for people; she should be at art school or something. She needs to go to art school, and she could certainly sell these for a lot more than a measly five dollars each. A few minutes later Seth and Leah appear, dressed in jeans and t-shirts with a sweatshirt over the top. I smile at them, and they immediately smile back.

"Is it really okay for me to come along with you guys?"

They both nod their heads at me. "Yes," Leah says as she sits down next to me putting on her tennis shoes.

"Can you be on my team? I really need to practice and Bella's not that good at it. She is really bad at baseball; the last time we played she threw the bat and kept the ball." I nod my head at Seth and chuckle a little, and try to work out how she did that.

"I heard that Seth, and it's not my fault, I got scared and caught the ball and dropped the bat." I look up to see Bella has on skinny jeans. Alice is almost the same exact size, but I think Bella is actually a tad bit taller. I really love the way the contour of the jean fabric hugs her thighs and down her legs. _Fuck, she has amazing legs; I wish they were wrapped around me._ Whoa, where the fuck did that come from? God she is so beautiful! I can't take my eyes off her ass when she bends down to pick up her shoes. Fuck, I want to cup her ass in the palms of my hands. I feel myself reacting to her body, and my cock is already hard and weeping for her attention. I can't remove my eyes from her; she is so incredibly sexy. As she stands my eyes travel up her body, and the curves that you never see in her work uniform or baggy clothes are clearly there. She looks hot; we are talking smoking hot. The t-shirt she has on is very girly and body hugging. Fuck, I can see her nipples, and it almost looks like she isn't wearing a bra. Wait, I see the bra strap, but it looks more like one of those sport bras. I shift my lower body enough to conceal my hard-on, but still have my eyes locked on her body.

"Is everything okay, Edward?"

I look at her face, shit I've been ogling her body.

"Yes," I say, my voice squeaking. Seth and Leah both burst out laughing, and I cough to clear my throat. "I'm sorry, yes everything is fine. I was just noticing that everything seems to fit you well."

She smiles at me. "Yes, everything is really great. There are a few things that I was unsure of, and I am not really sure what they are."

I look at her frown, and try to work out what she is talking about. "Do you want me to take a look and tell you, or. . ." She looks at me nodding vigorously, cutting me off. I chuckle, getting up. "Well come on then and show them to me, Baby Bella."

She looks at me then to Seth and Leah. "Bathroom, then go get your jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves on and be ready to go."

I follow her back to her _box _that she calls a bedroom. "It's this stuff that I am not sure of," she says handing me the bag. I look into the bag and I am sure that my face has gone white, fuck, this is all girly girl stuff. _Oh, my God, how the fuck do I explain all of this shit? It's not like I have ever worn any of this kind of stuff. Holy fuck!_ There are bras, panties, stockings, nighties, and they all still have tags on them. I look at Bella who is now biting her lip, looking down. "I've done it again haven't I? I've spoken about something that girls aren't meant to speak to men about." She doesn't look my way at all. "I'm sorry, please don't be upset with me; I can ask Zafrina later on."

She goes to walk out the room, but I place my hand on one of her arms. "Bella, look at me," I say keeping my voice soft, but she doesn't. "Please, Baby, look at me." I move one of my hands, so I am clasping her chin. I tilt her head to turn it toward me. I give her a smile and my thumb strokes her jaw and cheek. "You have done nothing wrong, but don't show these things to any guy except for me, okay?" She nods her head a little, and I look right into her eyes. I feel like they are drawing me in closer to her. _When did she get so fucking beautiful? _"I will tell you what they are, it's fine. I was just a little shocked, but remember this stuff came from my brother's wife. I'm not sure if I really wanted to see what she planned to wear for him, but I can see that they still have tags, so all of these are new. Don't worry, I will tell you what they are and how you wear them." She smiles back at me whispering a low thanks that is barely audible. I let her go the instant I feel myself losing control and my desire ebbing away with the want to touch her. I slide down the wall and sit on the floor, patting a spot next to me for her to sit. "This is for nighttime, you wear it to bed."

Bella blushes a little and I can feel that my face is red as well, but for a different reason. "Thank God for that, I thought they were dresses girls wore for nights out."

I chuckle at her, trying not to think about her in any of these. "No, these are for bedtime, only wear them then. But cover up if you need to leave your room, and especially if you have to go to the door. Don't let anyone besides me see these." I arch my eyebrows at her, and she nods her head in agreement. "These are bras; you wear them under your shirt." Bella frowns at me, I sigh thank God that Emmett is not here. "Do you have anything like these?"

She shakes her head. "I have these," she says showing me a sports bra that is sitting next to the clothes she removed earlier.

"Okay, well these go on the same area, they just hook in the back and sometimes in the front. This part," I say holding up the cup of the bra. "Goes over your tits. . .shit, sorry. . .boobs. . .I mean breasts." Bella chuckles a little at that. "You put your arm through these parts and the hook is in the back." Bella goes red, but still looks confused. "Okay I'll show you how to put one on, but pinkie swear that you tell no one?" I hold out my pinkie and we do a pinkie swear. I then take off my jacket and put the bra on over my shirt. It is so fucking tight, because it's made for someone her body size, not mine. I am so fucking glad Emmett cannot hear or see this, I'm sure my face is as red as a tomato. "Like this then," I say trying to hook the back. . .but fuck. . .I can't. "Fuck, I don't know how women get these hooks together. I'm great at unhooking them, but hooking them up is another story. Shit, you don't need to know that I'm good at unhooking a bra, where the fuck is that filter?" I hear her chuckling again at me, as I still struggle to hook the fucking bra. Finally getting it to hook, I show her where it sits on the body. "So do you understand the bra a little better now?"

She nods her head. "Yes, thank you. Do you think. . .will that fit me?" she asks nervously. I look at the bra then my eyes move back to her chest. Fuck, she has amazing breasts, so soft and full, and I can still see her pebbled nipples through the t-shirt and sports bra.

I clear my throat, and remove the bra. "I think I will take you to see Charlotte, she's Peter's wife. Peter works with Jasper and he is sort of a friend of mine. Anyway, she works. . .I mean owns a store. . .it is a lingerie store, so she sells this stuff." I let out an exaggerated breath because of my verbal vomit. "She will be able to get you the right sizes and fits. She can help you more than I can. I promise that she is really nice, and will help you." I smile at her, and she smiles back. "Okay, so are we heading to the park?" She nods her head before we head out into the hall.

We took the bus to the park, at my request, and have been playing baseball for an hour and a half. Seth was not kidding when he said Bella was bad at this. Bella is so bad; half of me wants to laugh at her. The other half knows it's because no one has ever taught her. Sadly, no one has really taught her much of anything other than to be a servant. "You ready for the ball this time, Baby Bella?" She nods her head and I throw the ball. Bella hits it, but it goes to her side.

"Foul ball," Seth shouts as she turns and growls at him. I look at her and notice that she is standing on the wrong side. Shit, she is left handed, and she is trying to bat from the wrong side.

I run up to her and touch her arm. "Bella, stand here," I say pulling her to the correct side. I put her between my arms and adjust her grip on the bat. I freeze for a second, this is the closest that I have ever been to her. I look right at her face as I am leaning over her. She smiles back at me, and there is no shaking like she normally does when anyone touches her. "Keep the bat up like this, until it is time to swing, then you swing like this." I help her with the movement. I let her go and as I do, I feel different. I look back at her, unsure of what it is I'm feeling. Bella gives me a puzzled look, and I shake my head and smile at her. "Get ready," I say before I throw the ball, that she manages to hit.

"Oh my God, I hit it, I hit the ball!" She jumps up and down.

"Sis, you're supposed to run around the bases now!" Bella jumps again before starting to run. She makes it all the way to third base on her hit.

Leah manages to hit the ball farther and when she gets to home plate Bella gives her a kiss and a hug before swinging her around to Leah's delight. Seth rolls his eyes. "Girls," he scoffs, and Bella arches her eyebrows at him. "No Bella, you said that you would stop kissing me outside. Come on Bella, I am a boy!"

She places her hands on her hip and pouts at him, and I chuckle. "Seth, let your sister give you a kiss." Seth turns to me give me the evil eye which makes me laugh even more at him.

"Fine Bella, you can give me a kiss, if you give Edward one first." He looks back at me smirking. I stand there open-mouthed. "I dare you Bella," he taunts.

Bella looks at me then to him. "What are you eight?"

Seth shakes his head. "No, I'm still seven, Bella."

Bella shakes her head. "This is a little childish Seth, and he's my boss. You do know that right?"

Seth smirks again, rolling his eyes. "What are you, scared? I double dare you to kiss him."

Bella shakes her head. "See, now you've gone and done it, but Seth, you should remember," he stops talking and I feel her lips on my cheek. "I never back down from a double dare. And now you can't back down from the next one you get from me," she says with a glint of spark in her eyes.

Seth looks at her open mouthed and then runs away from her. Of course Bella chases after him and Leah is standing next to me laughing. "He never learns, one time he said that he would only eat the green stuff if she ate dirt. Of course when he double dared her she did, and he had to eat them all, and they were yucky." I look down at Leah, and rub where Bella kissed me. I look back over to them and see that Bella has caught Seth and is swinging him around. I watch them fall to the ground and Bella protects Seth from being hurt before she sits up, tickling him. Leah is still next to me laughing.

"Bella please stop, I won't run away again. Please stop," Seth laughs out. "Bella please, I'm going to pee myself."

I hear Bella chuckle. "Oh no you're not, Seth."

Leah is still laughing at her brother, and I look down at her. "Well I think I should help him out, after all he is my teammate. I guess that leaves me to tickle you, since your teammate has mine." Leah stops and looks at me before making a mad dash away from me. I catch her pretty quickly.

"Bella, help me. Edward is going to tickle me!"

Bella's head pops up looking at me before grinning. "Nah, I'm busy here tickling Seth." She raises an eyebrow at me as I stop swinging Leah around.

"Well, what do you know, she just handed you over to the tickle monster!" At this I drop down to the ground and start tickling Leah who screams louder than her brother.

"Ed. . .ward, please stop. Please Bella, please help, please," she giggles. Just then I feel a body barge into my side. I roll to the side and see Bella helping Leah up.

"Let's get Seth again," Bella says. They nod their heads at each other and begin chasing Seth.

"Edward help me please, us guys need to stick together." I jump up to help Seth, who now has both of them on his heels. I look at Bella, then at Leah. I make it seem like I am going after Leah again. Bella feels safe to pass by me, and I smirk before grabbing her up. I throw her over my shoulder and swing her around like she did with Seth, trying not to think of how light she is. I look to Seth and Leah who are sitting down laughing at us.

I smile back at them and then feel a slap on my ass. "Did you just hit my bottom, Bella?"

She giggles. "It was just a little one, this however. . ." and at that she starts slapping my ass with both of her hands.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Bella." Quickly but carefully, I drop us to the ground and begin tickling her.

"Oh my God, Oh. . .sh. . .no, Edward, stop please." She begins trying to wiggle free. "Please, Edward, I never knew it was like this. . .please I will do anything you want, please stop."

I raise my eyebrow at her. "Anything I want, no matter what it is?"

She looks at me through the tears in her eyes, but she is nowhere near being sad. "Yes, yes, I promise anything."

I stop tickling her and smile. "Then I am taking us all out for lunch, right now and you can't say no." I smirk at her as she bites her lip, nodding her head.

She turns her head to look at Seth and Leah. "Thanks for saving me you two."

They look at each other then turn facing her. "No problem Bella." And they begin laughing again.

I look back down at her and notice her looking at me. "Edward, not that you are hurting me, or making me uncomfortable but I can't get up until you move. You kind of have your legs across my lap, like you're sitting on me."

I chuckle looking down at us. I see that I am indeed just about fully on her lap. I jump up offering her my hand, and she looks at it, then at me. "I just want to help you up Bella, take my hand." She blushes a little and takes my hand, and I pull her up. "Are you ready to go now?" I ask, moving the loose hair behind her left ear.

"Yes, I am ready to go. Seth, Leah, Edward is taking us out for lunch. Pack up you stuff please." They both jump up, collecting their things before coming over to Bella and me. As Bella goes to take the bag with the bat and ball in it, I take it from her with a smile.

"How would you guys like to eat at Midnight Sun?" They nod their heads I know Bella will be more comfortable there. I smile at them. "Well, we need to go to the bus stop, over there." I point the way and Seth and Leah walk in front of us. I look at Bella who looks at our joined hands. _Fuck, I didn't let her hand go after helping her up. _Even now that I notice, I still haven't let go of her hand. I don't want to let it go. I close the gap between us even more as I lean in. "Is this okay, Baby Bella? I mean, I don't want you thinking you need to hold my hand. I won't be upset if you want to let it go." That is a HUGE lie, but she doesn't need to know that.

She smiles up at me. "It's a little strange, but not uncomfortable. I think I like it." I smile and stroke her hand with my thumb and close the gap between us again. I am now walking step by step right next to her.

"I like this too." _I'm not really sure why I like it so much, but I do._

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><p><strong>AN: It seems that Edward has grown more attached to not only Bella, but also Seth and Leah too. The next chapter has a lot going on. Edward may, or may not, use a piece of info he learned in this chapter to get Bella to try something she wouldn't do before. Anyone got any guesses? Oh and the title to the next chapter is. . .Balls and Bitches, what are your thoughts on that? Remember all reviews get a review reply and teaser...as long as you are able to get personal messages on ffn.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Al normal disclaimers apply. We own only our storyline and the OOC behaviors we gave to characters. Huge and I mean HUGE thanks to all our special gals that keep out I's dotted and our T's crossed. Any mistakes you find, well they belong solely to Nikky and I. See authors note below. Kasi & Nikky.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Balls and Bitches<strong>

I am here in my room, putting on this ridiculously stupid fucking tuxedo for the Autumn Ball, but as bad as I hate to go, I feel obligated to attend. I hate these balls; they are always just a bunch of stuck up pricks and gold digging whores trying to impress each other. To say that I am not in the best of moods tonight is an understatement. If it weren't for the fact that Carlisle, Jasper, and Peter are on the board of the hospital that will benefit from tonight's soiree then I would not be attending.

Last Saturday was really wonderful; I honestly haven't enjoyed a day out like that in such a long time. It was easy with Bella, Seth, and Leah. But most of all, I really enjoyed my time out with Bella. After spending the morning and afternoon with them, I felt a little guilty when I got home. It almost felt like I was cheating on, or betraying Edw...his memory. Doing things with Seth and Leah was great, but he will never be able to do things like that with me. The feeling only ebbed when I saw their faces in my mind, along with Bella's; she looked so fucking happy.

All of these feelings of guilt and anger over things out of my control, made me feel like a prick. The whole day Sunday, I was really worked up. I was scared that I would end up fucking hurting Bella by being a prick because of the guilt that I was feeling. When Monday came around and I finally saw her, I felt calm. I was more together with her near me, and I knew that I would never take it out on her. It was something that I would have to deal with eventually, though. I am just not ready to do that right now. The week has gone by fast. Bella looked even more tired as the days went by. I knew something was up, but I never asked her, hoping she would come to me if she needed to. So far, she hasn't said a word.

I was all set to ask her to accompany me this evening, but I just couldn't get the words out. I would have bought her anything she needed. I would've even been happy if she came in her baggy clothes, but I just couldn't get the words out. Who the fuck knows why? I know that if she were coming with me, she would keep me so much calmer than I am right now.

On top of everything else this week, I had my first appointment with Peter on Thursday night. The appointment was so typical...same old, same old. It was all blah, blah, blah and niceties. Normal questions like 'how are you feeling?' to which I replied 'fucking pissed.' To get, 'Why do you think you feel that way?' answering I said 'Fuck if I know, that's why I'm here.' Peter is an okay guy, but I hate feeling like I'm on display.

I hear the beep of a horn, signaling the arrival of the car. I grab my overcoat, and head out for my painful evening.

"Good evening, everyone," I say as I close the limo door.

"Hello, Edward, I see you still haven't tied your bowtie. Siobhan can tie it for you if you'd like; she's really good at them."

I turn to face Alice, trying not to scream at her. "No Alice, I can manage myself, thank you very much. I'll tie it right before we arrive." I feel eyes on me, and my head turns to see who else is in the limo. There sits Siobhan, in a...dress? Fuck, it leaves nothing to the imagination! I don't even know if it can really be called a dress. It's more like a translucent piece of material in the front, glued to her skin, and held together on the sides by strings every few inches, no cloth at all. She cannot possibly be wearing anything under the dress. I can see from her armpit to the sole of her foot - nestled in the clear stiletto shoes she is wearing - that there is nothing but skin. She looks like she should be working for Aro. What a trashy, high class whore! She probably thinks it's attractive, and I am sure everyone will know she is going commando. Don't get me wrong...I like women to go commando, but I also like to be the only one that knows about it. If I asked my date to not wear panties, I wouldn't want every other person in the general vicinity to know about it. I don't want to share! Thank God she isn't my date! Just another reason on the list of why I won't date her, or any other woman for that matter.

"Wow, Edward! You look really good," Siobhan smirks at me before crossing her legs. She lets her dress fall to the side, and I am sure if I was looking, I would have seen her bare pussy. With the way she is right now, I, or anyone for that matter, could finger fuck her here and now, for everyone in the limo to see. I turn my head in disgust at her behavior.

"Edward, are you going to tell us how we all look?" I look back at Alice with a broad smile on my face. "Sorry. Please forgive my rudeness. Alice, Rose, Esme - you all look very beautiful." I give them my best smile that almost says, 'see? I can do nice'.

"Siobhan, your dress is very...nice?" I make my statement sound like a question, because I real don't know what she has on. Siobhan laughs and goes to touch my arm, but I shrug away from her. I see she's about to speak, so I jump in first. "And of course, Charlotte: you look beautiful, as always. Peter is an extremely lucky man, and if he does not mind me stealing you for a few minutes tonight, I would like to ask you something." Peter is already aware about Isabella, and knows that I was wanting to ask Charlotte to help with explaining the girl stuff to Bella.

Charlotte gives me a nod and a smile, along with a wink. I know this is her way of telling me she knows why, and won't speak to the others about it. All the guys seem to understand too, but Alice, Esme, and Siobhan seem to be itching to know what it is about. Rose just looks like she is bored.

After about ten minutes, we arrive at our destination. The valet opens the door, and I get out, moving to the side of the limo so that everyone else can get out as well. I wait and help Charlotte out so that I can speak with her.

"Thank you, Edward," Charlotte says loudly and then whispers in my ear. "Peter explained it all to me already; bring her in at half past nine on Monday morning. I'm closing for the day because it is Halloween. I will be spending the day working at my house; you know how much I love Halloween." She smiles at me and I shake my head at her. Last year, she decorated her entire house like Michael Jackson's Thriller video; it was truly amazing.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me...for her."

She gives me a smile. "I am dying to meet her. Don't worry, though, my lips are sealed. I am certainly not saying anything to them," she says as she points at Alice, Rose, and Esme."

I give her a smirk as Peter joins us. "I hope you are not trying to steal my wife. If you are, just remember her family is nuts. And her family is a package deal. Take one, take them all." Charlotte hits his arm, as he chuckles.

"Well, now that you reminded me of that, you can keep her." I give her a wink as she rolls her eyes. Her brothers are all nuts, and can drink their body weight in booze. When Peter and Charlotte got married, her brothers drank the bar out of everything.

We make our way to our table, which seats twelve. There are name cards already placed around the table, and I wonder who had control of the seating chart. Peter, Charlotte, fucking Siobhan, and myself are all sitting right next to one another. Great! So now it looks like she is with me. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Benjamin, and his wife Angela, are on the outside of the table.

"Good evening." My head snaps up, and I see that my Baby Bella is here tonight. She is serving, and she shakes a little, but her eyes find mine and she smiles before continuing what she was saying. "My name is Isabella; I will be your sever tonight. Would you like to place a drink order?" She looks to Peter first.

"I'll have a double Scotch on the rocks," Peter says, giving her a smile.

"I will have a margarita, please." Bella nods at Charlotte and then looks at me.

"A double Scotch - without the rocks, please. I don't need it watered down." I smile at her and give her a wink.

"No problem, Ed...Sir."

Siobhan looks at Bella and frowns. "Shouldn't you be writing this down so that you have a chance at getting our order correct?"

Bella gives a tense smile and swallows heavily. "I have a good memory, Ma'am."

Siobhan scoffs. "Well little Miss 'I have a good memory', I will have a Lemon Drop."

Bella gives her a smile before looking at Carlisle. "I'll have a Scotch too, please."

He gives her a wink as well. "Do you want that on the rocks, or without?" Bella asks, looking back at me as Carlisle laughs.

"No rocks needed for me tonight either, please and thank you."

Charlotte leans over to me. "Just taking a wild guess here, but I am thinking that this must be the famous Isabella - or Bella - that I have heard so much about?"

I smile at her. "Yes it is. I didn't know that she was working here tonight. This is a bit farther than she normally travels for work." I sit silently for a moment, contemplating the reasons why she is working here tonight. I hope that she is not in need of more cash, and is afraid to ask me for help or more hours.

"Well, she looks and sounds really nice; I can't wait to meet her away from this artsy-fartsy shindig. If you decide at anytime tonight to make a run for it and get out of this place, take me with you. I don't mind leaving Peter here; he can be our cover man."

I chuckle, nodding my head at her. Alice and Angela order wine-spritzers, Rose orders an orange juice, and Jasper, Ben, and Emmett order Scotch on the rocks.

Bella comes back a few minutes later with our drinks. "Is everything all right with your drinks?" she asks after passing everyone their glasses. Everyone - except for Alice, Siobhan, and Rose - nods.

"Yes, Isabella; everything is wonderful," I say, giving her another wink and a smirk.

"I will bring over the menu cards for you to choose from then." She turns to go get the cards, but is halted by an annoying voice beside me.

"Waitress," Siobhan says snarkily while snapping her fingers. She sounds like she is calling a disobedient dog. I raise my eyebrow at her, and Bella turns her attention to Siobhan. "I would like two bottles of the house wine brought to the table, along with twelve glasses." Siobhan places her hand on my arm and rubs it while leaning closer to me.

Bella has an amused look to her face. "Certainly, Ma'am." Bella bows her head and walks away from the table.

"What is up with you, Edward? You seem very taken with the waitress." Siobhan is acting like a jealous girlfriend, trying to mark me as her territory. "This is the first time I've seen you smile at a woman willingly."

I turn to Siobhan, knocking her hand from my arm as I do. I see that she has a smile on her face, and she is batting her eyelashes at me. I look away from her, and see Bella at the bar getting the wine. I turn back to Siobhan, who is now playing with her hair and moving her leg to show me even more skin than what she already has. It's clear to me that she wants me, and is miffed that I am paying attention to Bella. "Well, she is very pretty. Beautiful, I would say. Why wouldn't I smile at her?"

Siobhan's eyes widen more when I use the words pretty and beautiful, and she glares over toward the bar. "You think that stick thin looking little girl is beautiful? God, I think you should get Ben to check your eyes. It's clear that they're not working right. Now this body," she says, waving her hand up and down her body. "This is a beautiful woman's body. That," she says pointing behind me, "is the kind of girl that guys take to the toilets to have a quick fuck with." I glance over my shoulder to see Bella coming our way. I growl and I'm ready to strike.

"Siobhan, there is absolutely no need for that kind of talk or language. Remember where you are. Besides, Edward can smile at her or any other person he likes. You don't know that girl, so do not speak ugly of her and please keep your voice down." My head shoots up as Esme begins speaking; she is clearly pissed as she continues to frown at Siobhan.

"Here is your wine, Ma'am." I turn to Bella, who has come back with the wine. I know by the look on her face that she has heard what that bitch said. She pours a little wine in a glass and offers it to Siobhan, waiting for approval. Once Siobhan curtly nods her head, Bella pours and passes a glass to everyone at the table. When she's done with that, she passes out the menus and smiles. "I'll give you a few minutes to look over the selections."

She smiles once more, and as she goes to leave, she passes my chair. Out of pure impulse, I grab her hand. "Bella, baby," I say as I hear a gasps from my side. "Could you bring me another triple Scotch, please? I feel like I am going to need it." I tilt my head toward Siobhan slightly and roll my eyes. "Also, can you make sure that you come and get me when you take your break? I would love to sit and visit with you. It would make my night, since I had originally intended to bring you, but forgot to ask until it was too late." I squeeze her hand and wink at her; she blushes like normal and gives me her killer smile.

"No problem..." I can see the silent question in her eyes, and I nod at her. "Edward, if I get a break, it would be nice to talk to you." I smile at her again, and she gives me a puzzling look. "Um, Edward? If you want that drink, you'll need to let go of my hand. I would leave it with you, but it is kind of attached to me."

I squeeze it one more time, before letting it go. "Damn, and I was all set to keep it."

She bites her lip and smiles at me again. "Would anyone else like another drink?"

Emmett chuckles and raises his empty glass. "Me, litt...I mean, Isabella. I would like another, please." She smiles at Emmett and nods her head.

"Isabella, why don't you bring another round of drinks, please," Carlisle says.

She looks at Carlisle and smiles again. "Of course, Sir."

He chuckles a little more. "Bella, I told you, it's Carlisle. You can still call me that here. Don't worry about anyone else." She nods her head, bites her lip, and walks back to the bar.

"How the hell do you know her? Are you fucking her?" Alice asks in her loud, obnoxious voice. I glance at her, and am about to speak when Esme cuts me off.

"Alice, there is no need for the swearing. What has gotten into you girls tonight?" I glance at her and see her shaking her head at Alice.

"I'm sorry, Esme. It's just that Siobhan is far prettier than she is," Alice snarks, pointing at Bella. "She's far too thin, and she could be another gold-digger, for all we know. With Siobhan, we know that she likes Edward. I am only trying to look out for him, and his skewed sense of what is and isn't good enough. So Edward, are you fu...sleeping with the little gold-digging, white trash, waitress?"

I shake my head in disbelief. "It's none of your business who she is to me, nor is my sex life any of your concern. Besides, if I was fu..." I stop, not really wanting to say that word when talking about Bella. "Being intimate with her, it would be my choice. She is not a gold-digger, nor is she white trash. She is, however, my friend. I know her and have for a while now."

Alice rolls her eyes at me. "Really? A waitress is your friend? Where did you meet her, or are you paying her for sex? You couldn't have known her for that long. You have no clue what's good for you, so listen here: Siobhan is a beautiful friend of mine, and she is certainly more right for you than...that." Again, she points in Bella's direction.

I feel the rage and anger building within me. I look at her and I'm about to speak, but Jasper shakes his head at me. "Alice, how Edward met Bella is his own business, and whether he tells you or not is up to him. They are friends however, and for that matter, she's my friend as well. You didn't know that, but you do now. I'm kindly asking you not to speak about her, or to her, in a derogatory manner." Alice pales and turns to look at him.

"She's my friend, too, and I'm really fucking pissed that you spoke about her like that. I am really disappointed in you, Tink." Emmett looks hurt as he turns his head away from her.

"Alice has been your friend a lot longer than that Isobill or whatever her name is. She didn't mean any harm; she was just looking out for that asshole over there," Rose says, pointing at me. "He has shit taste in women! She's not one of us, Emmett, and she shouldn't have developed a friendship with any of you. She doesn't fit in, and she has no right." Emmett moves his arm away from Rose, and she glares at him.

"Exactly! Rose is right; that waitress is unworthy, and she has no right. I mean, look what she caused here. We were all fine until she came along. Now we are arguing and bickering over someone who is clearly not worth our time. I know it makes you unhappy, but she is exactly as Alice said: white trash." Again, Siobhan tries to touch me.

"No. That's where you're wrong, Siobhan. There's nothing wrong with that young woman, and I'm really fucking pissed at the three of you. I am very sorry about the swearing, Esme." Alice, Rose, and Siobhan all look at Charlotte, who looks like she's still seething even after her short rant.

Charlotte doesn't come from money. Her father worked hard to bring up her and her seven brothers. Charlotte herself was a waitress when she first met Peter and the rest of us. "Because if you think she doesn't belong, then neither do I. I guess our friendship is based on a bunch of lies. And before you all open your mouths to refute, don't bother. You don't know her, and therefore, you have no right to judge her. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Just because you have a shit load of money, doesn't give you the right to treat someone like shit." With that, Charlotte slams her glass of wine down on the table.

"Well said, Charlotte. I couldn't agree more," Esme says as she looks at Rose, Alice, and Siobhan. All three of them look as if they are actually ashamed of their own behavior now. They even appear as if they want to crawl under the table.

"Here are your drinks. I'm sorry about the wait." Bella hands each person their drink before coming to stand beside me. "Would you like to give me your selections, or do you need more time?"

I clear my throat. "I'm ready to order," I say, smiling up at her. I can see that she has a strange look on her face, so I take her hand again and give it a quick squeeze. I have a feeling she saw our argument, and in true Bella fashion, is blaming herself for it.

**~*HCV*~**

We are on our third course, and the atmosphere is only a little better. We are surrounded by people talking and laughing around their tables. Sadly, Siobhan is still flirting with me, and each time I reject her, she just ups the ante on what she is doing.

"Oops! I just dropped my napkin," Siobhan says, leaning over me. She places her hand on my knee, and is trying to make me look down the front of her dress, or whatever you call it. Like I would want to look at her at all. She slowly picks up her napkin, leaning into me even more. Suddenly, she grips my cock, and leans closer until her mouth is by my ear. "Well, what do you know? You feel really big, but you're still soft. I bet I can get you hard; I will even share you with your little waitress. You can fuck me as I lick her pussy."

I growl at her in disgust. "Get your fucking hands off of me before I rip them out of their fucking sockets. You disgust me, Siobhan. You're nothing more than a two-bit whore!" My voice is not kind, soft, or low. I push her away, and she actually looks stunned by my rejection. Then, as she looks around the room, I notice the dead silence that has taken over. Everyone is staring at us, and I swear you could hear a pin drop. Siobhan looks down, holding her napkin to her face. I almost laugh out loud when she starts dabbing at her dry eyes, so it looks like she is crying. Alice runs around the table and puts her arms around Siobhan as she glares at me.

Mr. Crain and Mr. Moore - the men who organized this Ball - come over next. I can see this is going to get ugly; I let out a sigh and pinch the bridge of my noise.

"Is everything all right here, Miss Meyer? Are you all right?" Mr. Cain asks while frowning at me like it is my entire fault she is a whore.

"Yes, it was just a small misunderstanding. Everything is fine," Siobhan says in a weak voice. I roll my eyes at her.

"I hope that is all it was. If you don't mind, I would love to join you for a bit," Mr. Moore says as he directs one of the staff to get him a chair. I notice that he has not taken an eye off of Siobhan.

I close my eyes, trying to block out the chatter around the table. Siobhan has now moved on to the older Mr. Moore, and every so often, she glances my way. I get the feeling that she is trying to make me jealous. She just can't take the fucking hint! Right now, I am thinking about either jumping out the window, or stabbing myself with my dull steak knife. The drop out the window is only around six feet, so that won't do any good. For now, the easiest way to end this night, in my opinion, is to attempt to end it with a dull steak knife to my chest.

"Excuse me." I look up to see Bella looking at me. "Mr. Masen, there is an important phone call for you at the bar. It's Taylor; he said to tell you that he's sorry, but it's very important, and he needs to speak with you right away." I give her a puzzled look. I did not leave this number with him, and besides that, he would've called my cell first, which is silent in my pocket. "I believe it may be about the leak. He said he really needs to talk to you." Bella widens her eyes at me and nods her head to the bar.

"If you will excuse me, I think I need to take this." Bella has already begun walking back to the bar. When I get there, she hands me the phone receiver. I put it to my ear and hear the dial tone. I look at her as she cleans the bar top.

"I thought you needed an escape for a few minutes. I was a bit worried about you from the way you were eyeing your steak knife. It was almost as if you were planning on stabbing it through your heart. If you went and did something stupid like that, it would have gotten blood all over your nice shirt. Just so you know, blood is really hard to get out. I would be at it all day Monday, and as you are aware, laundry is not a favorite of mine." I chuckle at her. "You better start talking to make it look like someone is on the other end."

I shake my head at her and smile. "You are diabolical, and I love it. Thank you so much for the help; you saved me."

She laughs at me and smiles big. "I had to save the shirt because it is so nice. Since you're wearing it, I guess I had to save you, too. But seriously, if you do plan on stabbing yourself, could you remove the shirt first? It would be a shame to ruin it." Bella smirks as she looks at me, and then smiles fully. I smile back and pretend to chat into the phone a little. "Besides, I don't think the lady in red would like that; she seems to really like you." Bella looks down and frowns a little, and I hate that she is upset.

"She is a whore, Bella. Baby, take no notice of her, okay? Don't let that bitch get you down." I look back at Bella, who is still frowning, but looking at me carefully. "What is wrong, Baby Bella?"

I place my hand on her arm and rub it. "You called Gina that, too." I turn and face her fully, so that all my attention is on her.

"What is a whore?" She nods her head. "I called them that because that's what they both are." Bella shakes her head and looks upset by this. Fuck! I did not mean to upset her. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I really don't want to hurt your feelings..."

She holds up her hand to stop me from talking. "It's not that; I just don't understand what it means." I close my eyes, nodding my head as I try to think of a way to explain it to her. "I have heard people call the girl's that work for Aro that word, but all of Aro's girls are nice to me, and never say anything mean to me, or make me feel bad. Not even Jane, and she isn't nice to anyone; that's what the other girls all say. If that word is meant in a bad way, why would they call Aro's girls that? I mean, they are nice - well to me anyway. Gina and the red dress lady, well I get the feeling they don't like me very much. I really didn't mean to upset her. I am sorry. I'm sorry that you had an argument with her and your friends because of me."

I move closer to her, and place my hand on her back. "Baby, she is no friend of mine. You are my friend. She was very rude, and said something about you that I didn't like, nor is it something I will repeat. I have no regrets calling her a whore. The only regret I have is that I upset you when I said it. As for people calling Aro's girls that, it's hard to explain, but I will try on Monday, okay?" She looks up at me with a smile, but it quickly becomes more a look of puzzlement. "What? What are thinking about now?"

She goes to look down, but I move my hand to her chin, halting her movement. "You said that I was your friend. Do you mean that? Do you mean friends, like Jasper and Emmett are your friends?"

I smile at her. "Yes, I mean that I would like you to be my friend. I kind of like you better than them, too," I whisper, looking over at Jasper and Emmett. "Would you like us to be friends?"

I start to feel panic, fearing that she will reject me. "Yes, I would really like to be your friend; I have never had a friend before. I don't know what I am supposed to do, or if I will be a good friend, though."

I chuckle, relieved but sad that I am her first real friend. "Bella baby, you're already being a friend to me, and you're doing everything right." I wink at her and rub her shoulder with my thumb when I realize that my hand is resting there. "I better get back to the table before they come and get me." I place the receiver back, and head to the table, finding that Mr. Moore has gone back to his own table already.

When I pull out my chair to sit, I notice that everyone is looking at me like I have grown another head. "What is with everyone?" I ask, looking around the table. Peter, Ben, and Angela are all smiling at me, but also have a slightly puzzled look on their faces. Charlotte, Jasper, and Emmett are smiling, but they are more like those big, scary grins. Esme has the biggest smile, and looks almost relieved. Alice looks at me casually, without much of any expression, and Rose looks bored again, but her face never really changes. The only person who shows any serious emotion is Siobhan, and she looks pissed.

I see Siobhan looking Bella over and glaring at her. "I can't believe you touched her! How could you? I mean, it looked as if were you were going to kiss her. Do you know how embarrassed I am? I came here with you, and you practically make out with that trailer trash waitress. You are supposed to be my date tonight. We are a perfect couple and made for each other. I know for a fact that I am the hottest woman in here who wants you. I am wearing a killer dress, and I have tried everything to get your attention. Maybe you just don't get it. I want to ride your cock, and I want you to pound my pussy. I don't want marriage right now - I want a good time. Fuck! I just want someone hot and sexy to date and fuck me for a few months."

I look right at her and almost laugh in her face. "Listen here, Siobhan: you could never contend with Bella; she is a lady, and you are a whore. I did not bring you here, nor did I invite you. You are not my date, my girlfriend, or even my friend. As for Bella, she is my friend; she is more worthy than a thousand of you. My first thought of you was that you were a nice girl. Apparently I was completely wrong, because you are a worthless whore. I pity any guy who ends up with you. The way you tried to crawl all over me tonight, and the way you spoke, leads me to suspect that you need to be checked for sexually transmitted diseases. This meal is clearly over and thank goodness for that, because now I can get the fuck away from you." I stand up and grab my glass. "One last thing," I say, holding up my thumb and looking at Alice. "Alice, all I can say is, score on this friend! She is exactly why I don't date your friends; they are all money hungry whores. Rich or not, they are the epitome of white trash." With that, I move away from the table, and as I do, I hear muffled laughter.

Alice, Rose, and Siobhan stay away from me for the rest of the night. Esme comes over and talks to me with Carlisle by her side. She surprises me by saying that Bella looks like a nice girl, and when I am ready, she would like to meet her. Emmett and Jasper try to apologize for their wives' behavior, but I wave them off and tell them to go dance with their women and have fun. I spend most of the night with Peter, Charlotte, Ben, and Angela. I keep the topic away from Bella, because Angela works with social services and it's better to be safe than sorry.

The night draws to a close, and I notice that Bella did not have a break at any point during the night.

"Edward, the car will be here in ten minutes." Carlisle pats me on the back as he speaks. "Are you riding with us?"

I look at him, and then at Bella, and shake my head at him. "No, I am going to stay here and make sure she gets home safely."

He smiles at me. "That's what I figured you were planning to do. I didn't like the whole idea of her walking or even catching the bus at this time of night. I know she won't get in the car with us, or she could ride with us. I'll speak to you soon, son." I give him a nod, but keep my eyes on Bella, who is pretty much doing all the cleaning herself.

As more and more people leave, I remove my jacket and roll up my sleeves. I walk over to where Bella is cleaning and start stacking the chairs for her. "Edward, what are you doing? You are a guest here. I can do this."

I shake my head at her and smile. "Bella, let me help you; you've been doing this by yourself most of the night. I want to help you."

She rolls her eyes at me. "Well, there is no point in arguing with you then."

I nod my head in agreement. "No, you're right; there is no point in arguing. Come on, Baby Bella, let's get this done, and then I can get you home safe and tucked into bed." I almost blanch at the last word; she doesn't have a fucking bed.

"Edward, you don't need take me home. I'll be taking the bus; Aro said that I had to."

I shake my head at her. "Bella, I will be taking the bus with you. As your friend, I want to make sure you get home safe and sound. Let me do this," I say, almost pleadingly. She gives me a look before nodding her head.

It takes Bella and me almost an hour before the hall is cleaned. None of the other wait-staff help at all. Who the fuck knows where they all went? Bella collects her pay, and we walk out of the hall. I notice that she only has her paper thin jacket on, and it is fucking cold outside - a lot colder than it was earlier. I look at my watch and notice it is already one in the morning. Taking one more look at her, I stop and remove my black cashmere full length overcoat. I know there is no way this will fit her; it's way too long.

"Bella, could you hold this coat for me for a moment?" She looks at me and takes it from my arms, holding it high over her head so it doesn't touch the ground. She looks so small compared to my large jacket in her hands. I remove my tuxedo jacket, and hold it by the neck in my left hand. Using my right hand, I take my coat from her and place it over my left arm, then I hold open the tuxedo jacket, and motion for Bella to slip into it. "Baby Bella, please put this on. I know I had it on all night, so it may smell like me, but it's warm."

She bites her lip and looks up at me. "Won't you be cold?"

I shake my head at her. "Bella, this coat will keep me warm. You put this on so I can get my coat back on, and we can get to the bus stop."

She slides her arms in and it drowns her, making me chuckle at the sight before me. "You're freakishly tall."

I shake my head, putting my coat back on. "No Baby, you're just really small, but I kind of like it. Come on, let's get the bus," I say, holding out my hand. I smile when she takes it, and I pull her closer to me. We aren't touching, but I want her close to me. I have this strong desire to kiss her hand, but I shake it off. I am unsure where that came from; I haven't kissed a girl's hand in a very long time. I never even kissed Tanya's hand, nor did I want to for that matter.

We get to the bus stop, and I see that we have to wait forty minutes for the next one. I see a cab coming our way and hold my hand out for it to stop. Bella looks at me wide eyed, clearly scared. I turn her head, clasping my hands against either side of her face, and rub her cheeks with my thumbs. "Listen to me, baby; you are my friend, and I will never let anything happened to you. I will not leave you, and I promise that I will keep you safe. Do you believe that I will keep you safe?"

She looks into my eyes for a moment before speaking. "Yes, I believe ...you've kept me safe already."

"Hey, folks, are you getting in or not?" I tilt my head and close my eyes.

"I need a few moments please." I open my eyes again and I smile at Bella. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I would like us to get in this cab, and get you home. I promise I will be with you every step of the way, but if we take the bus, we will have a long wait. I know that you're missing Seth and Leah. If you don't want to get in, that's fine, but please thinks about it. I'm here for you, so please try Baby Bella." She looks up at me and nods her head a little, but I know she is nervous. I know all she needs is a little push to get in. "I double dare you to get in," I say, knowing that this is the easiest way to push her past her fear. "I won't leave you; I promise."

She bites her lip, looking at me and then at the cab. "I'll try, but please don't be...don't be angry if I can't, or if I freak out. Please? I do...don't want you mad at me."

I step closer to her, and hug her to my side. "I will never be mad at you over something that you fear so much. If it gets to be too much, just tell me and I'll get him to stop so we can get out."

Bella closes her eyes. "You promise you're not going to get mad and you won't leave me or let me go?"

I smile at her. "I promise I will not be mad. I also promise that I will never let you go, or leave you."

Shakily, Bella climbs into the cab and I follow her. Once I close the door, I put my arms around her and pull her over to me. She is as close as possible, with her head lying on my chest. Her hands are grabbing my shirt tightly, and I am stroking my hand across the back of her neck. I give the driver her address, and hum softly to her as he starts to drive. Bella tightens her hold on me as we pull out, and I continue to stroke her neck.

"You're doing so fucking good Baby; so good. I am so proud of you." I really am, too. It's clear that she is uncomfortable, but she's keeping a grip on herself. "That's it Baby, nice and easy." I look forward to see the cab driver frowning in the mirror; he is clearly worried. I'm surprised that his driving is good, and he is keeping a slow, steady pace. Normally, these cab drivers speed here and there, and never use much caution. I look back down at Bella, who has her eyes closed. I can hear her whispering, but I am unable to hear what she is saying. "Almost home now Baby, just a few more minutes. I am so fucking proud of you." I lean in and smile, and as I do, she moves her head slightly and my lips brush against her hair. I have the overwhelming desire to kiss her on the head again, and this time I do so intentionally. I really don't understand where these feelings are coming from, but I'm tired of ignoring them.

The cab pulls up outside of Bella's apartment and stops. "Well done, Baby Bella. We're here." As soon as the words leave my mouth, Bella crawls over me, opens the door, and bolts out. I smile at the cab driver, and had him thirty dollars for the fifteen dollar ride. "Keep the change."

"Thank you, Sir. She did really well; my sister doesn't do to well in cars, either. She hates them, actually. There is no way she would have done as well what your girl did. You've got yourself one hell of a girlfriend; she is definitely a keeper."

I look at him and shake my head at the word girlfriend, but don't feel like correcting him. "Yes she did, thanks." I jump out and head over to Bella, who is leaning against the wall.

"I'm sorry, I just..." I pull her up to me, clasping her face again.

"I am so fucking proud of you, Bella baby. I really am. You did so well." I pull away from her a little even though my body seems to want to be closer to her. "Come on. We better get you inside and to bed."

We climb the stairs and I see that Bella is dead on her feet. All I want to do is carry her, but I know that would scare her. We have had a lot of close contact lately, but not that close. We get into her apartment, and Zafrina is sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle.

"Isabella," she says as she looks at me. "Edna, how was your night?"

Bella smiles a little. "It was all right, but a lot of work. I got paid, so I'll be able to pick up their costumes and some other stuff for Halloween. Were they good tonight?"

I frown. So that is the reason she was working tonight. "Yes, they were fine; we made some decorations and cards." She gives Bella a reassuring smile. "How about you, Edna, did you have a good night?" Zafrina asks as she picks up her things.

"My night was much better because Bella was there." I smile at Bella as I say her name, but she looks half asleep.

"Good to hear. Isabella, I'll let you get some sleep. I'll see you when you get back after church in the morning," she says, heading out the door.

Bella falls to the couch, taking her shoes off. "Would you like a drink? Zafrina got some free samples of coffee and tea, so she grabbed some for me, too. I only have them so that if you visit, I can offer you a drink." She is trying to smile, but just looks sleepy.

"I'm alright. Thank you, but can I get you a drink?" She shakes her head and yawns. "Sorry, no thank you. I normally have a glass of water before bed, but I can get it."

I bend down next to her. "Why don't you go and get ready for bed, and I will get the glass of water for you?" She looks like she's about to argue, so I quickly continue. "Baby, you've been getting me drinks all night. I would like to get one for you; it would make me feel so much better." She nods her head, and I help pull her back up off the couch.

I go to the kitchen and get her a glass of water, and then take it back through to the living room, to sit on the couch. I lean my head back and close my eyes as I wait for her to come back.

"I am still not sure about this stuff. Do girls really wear this kind of thing to bed?"

I open my eyes. "I am sorry, what?" I ask as I lean my head back up. Fuck me! And I mean FUCK ME! Bella is standing there in one of the sexiest night gowns I have ever seen, and I am so fucking hard - instantly. I open, and close, and open my mouth again as I ogle her. Dirty thoughts fly though my head, most of which involve me fucking her. She picks up the sweater that was sitting on the couch, and pulls it over the nightie. It doesn't help, though. The damage has already been done. My cock is hard, and jerking to get her attention. She doesn't say anything. Instead, she just stands there. I am still extremely fucking hard, and it is all for her. She sits down next to me and is biting her lip again.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you said that only you could see me in this. I thought it was okay to wear it out here. I forgot to take my sweater with me. I am sorry you had to see me like that. I know it's not nice. I hope you still want to be my friend." She looks close to tears.

Fucking talk to her you idiot! I can hear the voice screaming in my head to speak, but all my brain power has gone straight to my cock.

"I won't come back to your home if you don't want me to. Please don't call me that word you called the lady in red tonight." She thinks I would call her a whore? The sadness and exhaustion in her voice brings me out of the fucking trance I was in.

"Bella hush, I would never call you that. I am sorry, but you look damn good in this. Again, please don't let anyone but me see you in this or anything like it. You are BEAUTIFUL, and you will always be my friend. I am sorry my head kind of left my body for a minute there." I pull her against me and her head falls to my shoulder as she closes her eyes.

"You were day dreaming? Zafrina told me about that. It's when you're awake, but have a dream like you do at night. Seth and Leah do that sometimes; Leah more than Seth." I chuckle, because her words are becoming more and more slurred.

"Yes, Baby, I was day dreaming. Go to sleep now." It only takes a few minutes before her breathing becomes slow and even. I gently move from under her, being careful not to jostle her. I place her across the couch and step back. Fuck, she is so small that her full body fits on it. I shake my head and go looking for a blanket for her.

I can't find one anywhere in the living room, so I have no other choice but to get one from her box. Seeing the sleeping bag on the floor, I move to grab it, but something brushes against me. I cautiously move the sleeping bag to the side, and I find a small lizard. Fuck, my heart is pounding as I look at it while it looks back at me. It sticks it tongue out at me and I have to stifle a laugh. This must be Jake; I remember Bella talking about him.

"Hello, Jake. What are you doing in here?" I pick him up and begin to look for his tank. I know it isn't in the kitchen. Bella's box isn't big enough, and it's not in the hallway, so that only leaves the kids' bedroom, the living room, or the bitch's bedroom. I doubt that Bella would allow the tank in there, since she is not allowed in there. I decide to look anyway, just as a precaution. I open the door and see that everything is the way it was the first time I saw it. I take a closer look at the dresser and see dust: a lot of dust. Bella really hasn't been in here. I close the door and quietly head back to the living room. I place the sleeping bag down next to the couch, but can't see a tank in here, so I head to the kids' bedroom. Both are sound asleep, but Leah has kicked her covers off. I go over to her pull them back up, and pick up her doll, tucking her back in beside Leah. When I turn around, I see part of the tank, which is behind their bedroom door.

"Well, that explains why I didn't see you last week," I say to Jake. I place him back in the tank and notice that there is a pink teddy bear in there, too. I chuckle as Jake goes straight to it and starts laying on it. It almost looks like he is humping it. Bella wasn't kidding: he needs a friend.

I shake my head and go back to the living room and put the shitty sleeping bag over Bella. "Baby, I need to go now. I'll see you on Monday," I say, moving the strands of hair from her face. "You're fucking beautiful, Bella. You really are." Before I can stop myself, my lips are on her head again. I place several small kisses on her forehead, and stroke her cheek with my thumb. What the fuck is happening to me? I look at her, still fucking uncomfortable about this whole thing. The sleeping bag is not going to keep her warm. I remove my coat, placing it over her sleeping form. I chuckle at the fact that it looks almost like she has a quilt over her.

"Baby Bella, I am leaving my coat with you tonight. Don't worry, though; I'll get it later. Have a good night's sleep, baby." I kiss her on the head again and turn, picking up my tuxedo jacket. I go out the door and make sure it is shut and locked behind me. I am still not sure what Bella is doing to me, but I feel that it could be a good thing in the end.

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><p><strong>AN: I am guessing that you all will have a few choice words for Rose, Alice, and Siobahn...to be honest, Nikky and I are super excited to read your thoughts on these _ladies..._(I say that loosely.) What are your thoughts on Edward, making sure everyone is all tucked in? Do you think he is finally getting his head completely removed from his ass? Next chapter will be covering Halloween, and of course it could never be Halloween without a sighting of at least one witch...Care to guess who might be the witch making an appearance in the next chapter. **

**Thanks for the ongoing story love and support, we are both extremely proud of this story and the following it is garnering. Thanks for making this story the best review count story either of us have written. Thanks in advance for your reviews. Remember all reviews get a teaser! See you next Thursday!**

**Kasi & Nikky**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All actual Twilight things belong to Stephenie Meyer, this story line and a few original characters belong to us. Please by all means, write your own stuff and don't steal ours. A huge thank you goes out to: Jess2002, Content1, Aurellacullen FFN/Aylacullen TWCS, MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, toocute24, and Sarah… These girls are one awesome group of ladies to work with. Any mistakes in the final wrap belong to us. Thanks, Kasi and Nikky.

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><p>Chapter 14: A Cowboy, a Princess, and a Butterfly<p>

I called Bella on Sunday to let her know that I would meet her at Seth and Leah's school today. As I park my car by the school and wait for Bella and the kids to arrive, I decide that it would be better to type out my email to Aro now, while I can, so I grab my blackberry.

Aro, I would like Sally to be on the bench with her arms restrained above her head, wearing nothing but a nice pair of stilettos. Her feet placed on the pegs, with her knees high in the air and spread open. She needs to be gagged with a ball gag and have a buzzer in her hand. I'll be there promptly at six-thirty. ~ Anthony

Just as I am about to send it, I see Bella arrive with Seth and Leah. She has some pumpkins and bags with her. She walks them to the door and gives them both a kiss. She hands each of them a pumpkin and a bag, and then waves as they head into school.

I hit send on my phone and jump out of my car. As I walk toward her, Bella's head moves up and she gives me a smile as she starts walking toward me.

"Good morning, Bella."

She bites her lip. "Good morning, Edward. I couldn't bring your coat with me. I'm sorry; it's just that I had to bring the pumpkins. I didn't want your coat to be messed up, but I can go back and get it now."

"No, it's fine, I can get it later. Come on Baby Bella, we better get going or we'll be late."

She looks perplexed. "Edward, aren't you expected to be at the college; I mean, I thought you have classes today?"

I chuckle. "Yes I do, but I got this morning off. I'm using some of my vacation time. I would like to take you to see Charlotte today. She's the one that sells the girl things; remember I told you I'd take you to see her? She was sitting on my right at the ball." Bella nods her head at my explanation, but I see she is biting her lip again. I know she's worried, so I do my best to reassure her. "I will be there with you. I am not going to leave you, I promise." Bella nods again as we begin walking to the bus stop. We take the bus and arrive at Charlotte's store a little after nine-thirty. Charlotte had texted me earlier and asked that we enter through the back door. She was going to leave it open for us, as she had the front locked up so that no unexpected customers would arrive. I hold onto Bella's hand as we walk thought the door.

Charlotte sees us as soon as we enter; she smiles and makes her way toward us. "Edward, Isabella; come on in. I already have several items laid out for you. I have done this for a few years, so I'm pretty good at guessing sizes." I rub Bella's hand and smile at Charlotte's obvious excitement. "Isabella, I'm so sorry, sometimes my mouth runs away with me. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Charlotte, but you can call me Chas; all my friends do." Charlotte gives Bella a big smile, but keeps her distance for now.

"It is nice to meet you. I'm Isabella, but please call me Bella." I squeeze Bella's hand, trying hard not to jump for joy. This is the first time that she has openly asked someone, apart from me, to call her Bella.

Charlotte smiles at her. "Well, I was thinking that these things would be perfect for you." I look at the collection of bras and panties that Charlotte has picked out. They are mostly plain, white ones. There are some with lace, but none them are overly sexy like the ones that were in Alice's bag. I am both relieved and somewhat disappointed. "Come with me, Bella, so I can take your measurements to ensure that we have the correct size."

Bella looks at me and I nod my head at her. "Bella..." I clasp her face between my hands. "Baby, I'll be right here. I won't leave you." Bella whispers a low thank you, and strokes my hand before giving it a squeeze at the end. I watch as she walks away with Charlotte.

They have been gone for ten minutes, and I'm looking around the shop, wishing that I hadn't. I have stumbled across some of the fucking sexiest lingerie sets I've ever seen. Every set I see, my mind imagines on Bella. I am standing here taking in all the different colors and textures of lace and frill. I'm so hard right now, my dick twitching with excitement at every new thought. I reach down and pick up a pair of sheer, red lace panties. I feel my cock get even harder as I imagine Bella in them. My thoughts don't stop there, though; I can picture myself ripping this flimsy piece of lace off of her. I swallow the drool that is pooling in my mouth, and put the panties down. Thoughts like this are not good; she's only my friend!

I don't want to fuck her.

Oh yes, my friend, you do, and a lot of other dirty things, as well. Like touching and tasting her, causing her to moan your name out in pleasure.

Fuck no! I need to stop. She is just my friend; I don't - and can't - see her that way.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I zoom in on a blue satin and lace bra and panty set which has a matching baby doll cover. All I can see is Bella standing in my bedroom at the foot of my bed, wearing this. I pick it up; holding it close as I try to stop my thoughts, but it isn't working very well. Argh!

"Edward, you need to come here right away, please." I hear Charlotte and I look up, seeing she is upset as she quickly runs towards me. I drop the baby doll outfit and move to her.

"I'm sorry, shit! Edward, I can't calm her down!" I look to the back, and start moving toward Bella.

"What happened?"

Charlotte shakes her head, clasping her hand to her forehead. "She didn't know that she had to remove her shirt. I...I explained that to get her correct measurements, it was necessary but..."

I let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Charlotte; I didn't think about it. Damn it! I should've known she would be uncomfortable undressing in front of someone she had just met." I place my hand on the main door of the changing room.

"That is not really what the problem is. I need to tell you something before you see it. Edward, it was my face that caused her to get so upset. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't control my reaction."

I frown at her. "I know she is a little thin, but..."

I stop as Charlotte shakes her head. "Edward, she has whip marks; scars, on her back. She said that she was bad, and that was her punishment. She was embarrassed that now I know she was bad!" The anger and disgust in her voice is crystal clear. I feel like my heart has been crushed. I now have clear evidence that she has been physically hurt. "Who the fuck does that to someone, much less an innocent human being like Bella?"

I push the door open as I locate the dressing room where Bella is. I find her sitting on the floor, cradling her knees. She looks up towards me and her eyes widen as she grabs her blouse.

"No, I don't want you to see me; I was bad. Please, I don't want to lose your friendship."

I drop to the floor, placing my hand on her face. My eyes go to the mirror as she sits forward, and I can see her back. I close my eyes, and silently count to ten. You can clearly see the scars. There are a lot of them, and poorly formed as a result of lack of care. "Bella, who did this to you? Please, tell me who left these marks on you?"

She looks up at me, shaking uncontrollably. "I was bad. Please, I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't. I was really trying."

I pull her head towards mine, placing my forehead onto hers. "Please baby, tell me what happened. I'm not going anywhere; I swear to you, I won't leave you. You'll always be my friend."

Her hand grabs a hold of my shirt. "Mom was away with one of her friends. She said they had a problem, and she was going to help them. A few days later, Uncle Harry came to the house we were staying in. He was there to pick up some money mom had left for him. He decided to stay for a few days. Leah wasn't feeling well, and I was taking care of her. I tried to make her better, but she was so warm, so I bought her some medicine. The lady at the store said it would help. I took the medicine back to where we were staying, and saw that Uncle Harry had a friend over. Leah was getting warmer and crying a lot. I thought that a bath would help, so I bathed her. After her bath, I gave her some of the medicine, and she finally fell asleep. Uncle Harry and his friend started making loud noises, and it woke her up. She wouldn't stop crying, and I tried to calm her; really, I did. But Uncle Harry's friend got mad and left. She told him to get rid of the brats before calling her again. He was very angry, and Leah was still crying. He went to take her from me, but I pulled her away from him. I didn't mean to, it's just that he smelled funny. I didn't know then what the smell was, but I did learn recently from working at your bar, that it was beer. Uncle Harry was so mad, but he gave me a mean look and walked away. I got Leah back to sleep, and went to get a glass of water, but Uncle Harry was there. He said that there was money missing. I told him I took five dollars for the medicine for Leah. He got really angry, and told me that it was my fault that his friend went away. He said I was very bad and did everything wrong. He said that because I stole what was his, and upset one of his friends, I was disobedient and that he had to punish me. He said bad people get punished and marked as bad forever. He took me into my mom's room; he was sleeping there while he stayed with us. He told me to undress and bend over the chair. He then hit me ten times for each wrong doing that I did. After that, he told me to get dressed and deal with the brats. Seth and Leah were both crying now; they woke up while he was whipping me. He left the next day; he said he couldn't bear to look at me: that I was disgusting. He said that if anyone saw the marks on my back, they would know that I was bad, and would never want me around."

I feel sick; every part of me wants to pull her in. I know that I can't, but fuck! How her Uncle, or anyone, could do something like that to this girl. "Did he touch you anywhere on your body?"

She shakes her head at me. "No, he just hit me with the belt."

"Did he do something like that before?"

Again she shakes her head. "No. He had been mad at me before, when I would fall around him. Sometimes, when he was going upstairs, and I was going down, he would knock me with his foot if I accidentally touched him and sometimes I would fall. But he never touched me before that." It sounds to me that he liked making her fall.

"What about your mom and dad? Did they touch you? Did they hit you?"

I feel her shake her head. "No, they never touched me."

I sigh, relieved that they did not beat her on a regular basis.

"Has anyone else, girl or boy, touched you anywhere on your body with their hand or an object?"

My heart just about stops as she nods her head. "Can you tell me where they touched you?"

Again she nods her head. "My breasts and in my private place."

She looks at me confused as I feel the rage misting over me. "Can you tell me with what and who?"

Her puzzled look increases. "Carlisle. And Edward, you were there at my check-up."

A strange chuckle came out. "Apart from him, has anyone touched you?"

She shakes her head. "In those areas, no one has touched me. Some people have pulled on my arm, and that guy from the park hit my face and pulled my hair."

I close my eyes trying, to calm myself down from the thought of people hurting her. I am ninety-nine percent sure now that she has never been sexually abused. Thank God! But, I am fucking pissed at her 'so called' Uncle Harry. How could he make her think it was her fault? He made her think she was bad, which explains why she is always worried that she has done something wrong. "Bella, you were _not_ bad. He shouldn't have done what he did. He was the bad one."

She shakes her head at me. "Baby, please look at me. As your friend, I'm telling you, you didn't do anything wrong. Have I ever lied to you?" She looks at me, shaking her head. "Then believe me when I tell you that you weren't bad." Pulling her shirt on and helping her pull it down, I pat her shoulder. I clasp her face, and look at her right in the eyes. "You are a good and wonderful person. You're the most beautiful person I have ever met."

She looks back at me, but I know she doesn't believe me. She has had years of being told otherwise. I know it's going to take some time for her to believe me. "I'm going to tell you every day that you are beautiful, every day for the rest of my life." I just hope at some point along the way she will begin to believe me. I help her stand, and head back out into the main area of the store. I see that Charlotte is on the phone, but hangs up as we walk toward her. She still looks upset, but I know she is trying to not to show it.

"Bella, sweetie, you are a very beautiful girl, and I would like to be your friend. Here is my phone number; you can call me anytime. I would like your phone number, too, if that's okay with you. I would really like to get together sometime; maybe I can come to visit you. I could bring some girly movies, and we could watch them and chat." Bella smiles back at her, and gives Charlotte her cell number. I see her mouth the words '_thank you'_ to Charlotte, but she is too quiet to be heard. "These will fit you; there is no charge because these are end of the season. I would just be giving them away anyway, so I am glad to give them to you. You are honestly doing me a favor by taking them, because it is a lot of paperwork to write them off." Charlotte hands Bella four bags full of undergarments." I give her another smile before I set off with Bella.

By the time I get Bella back to my home, she has completely calmed down. It is strange in a way, because it is almost as if this morning's talk did not occur. It worries me that she is blocking things out. I decide to go into my office at UW, and leave further discussions for another day. I need Peter and Jasper's input on how to handle this. As I go to leave, I find myself telling Bella again that I am here for her, and to call me any time and I'll be there in a heartbeat. She thanks me, and nods her understanding, but lets me know that she is not ready to talk right now. I'm about to argue that point, but stop because I know what she means. I'm not ready to face some of my demons either, so I just nod and leave.

**~HCV~**

I'm on my way to Aro's and park my car three blocks away from his club. I never park outside the club, as I don't want people knowing my business. I'm cutting down the alley between a shop and Zion church, when I hear Bella's voice.

"Look, here they come now." I peek out to see her; she still looks happy, even more so now than earlier. Bella is standing on the church steps with Seth and Leah. Seth has a cowboy costume on, and he looks so darn cute. I also see Leah, who is dressed as a princess. I would say Leah was Princess Aurora, 'Briar Rose'. Bella has wings on, and I study her for a few more minutes, trying to work out what she is. I draw back into my hiding spot, but continue to watch and listen as I hear more voices coming this way, moving my head to see who.

"Oh my God! You guys are so cute. I want to take a picture." My breathing is slightly elevated and erratic as I finally see who the voice belongs to. There stands Sally, the same Sally who I am seeing in just fifteen minutes. Along with Sally are Aro, Felix, Garrett, and four other girls. I am not sure who they are, I just know that they all work for Aro. "Seth, you are the best cowboy I've ever seen! Goodness gracious Leah, no other princess has anything on you; you're way more beautiful and elegant than the rest of them! Oh Isabella, you are an awesome butterfly. Your costume is great," Sally goes on, as she snaps her pictures.

"I think so, too. Seth and Leah made it for me. They really wanted me to get all dressed up, too." I smile at how happy they sound.

"So, what's it gonna be, boy?" Felix drawls, as he reaches into his coat. I can see that he has some toy guns stuffed in his pants. Seth moves, so as to stand in front of him. I see Seth smirk at him, and place his hands on his toy guns. "So, I see you wanna go the hard way, is that right boy?" At that, they both draw their guns.

"Bang, Bang," Seth shouts out. As Seth makes his gun noises, I watch Felix start his very dramatic death scene.

"God, no; it wasn't meant to end this way." I clasp my hand over my mouth to stop the laughter coming out as he keeps going. "It hurts so bad, so very bad." Finally, he falls the rest of the way to the ground and closes his eyes. Seth laughs at him and moves forward. Felix's head suddenly pops up making Seth jump back a little. "So bad; it hurts, I tell you, so...bad." I shake my head at seeing the hardest guard Aro has, act this way. I look at Bella and see her smiling over at them. She gives Seth a wink. Leah is being hugged by the girls, who are busy telling her she makes the most beautiful princess.

"I think you all deserve these bags of candy. Here you go." Aro gives them each one. "This one is for you, Bella." He gives her a pointed look.

"Bella, the candy in the pink bag is just for you, not the children. That is candy for big people only," Sally says, looking at her.

"We better get going, I have an appointment soon. See you later," Sally says to Bella and the kids. The girls and Garrett all wave as they start to walk away. I watch as they head to the club. Aro is very protective of his girls; even in a large group, they have a guard.

It's just Felix and Aro now. I can see that Aro has a smirk on his face. "So are you going to go anywhere else after this?"

Bella shakes her head. "No, just back home. Thank you for asking Mr. Brophi for some time off for me, and thanks for inviting us to meet you here tonight; this made their day."

"No problem, Bella. Well, I better get back to work. I'll see you all later this week; mother is making me come for Sunday lunch." Bella waves, as do Seth and Leah. I watch them go and I feel a tug inside of me. I want to share this with them, to see Bella's costume up close. Yeah, that's it...tell yourself it's her costume you want to see up close. I didn't get the full effect of the costume from far away. Fuck, just face it; I want to spend tonight with Bella and the kids.

Carlisle and Esme would love to see them. I chuckle, biting my lip, a habit I picked up from Bella. I shake my head and take my blackberry from my pocket. I decide to call Aro and tell him I will no longer be coming in tonight. Before I can dial his number, I am startled by a voice right next to me. "You better run down the alley, and then you can catch her before she gets past your car." I jump, seeing Aro standing there. I know that the question must be evident on my face, because he answers it. "I see all, now get going." I hear him chuckle as I turn and run down the alley to catch up with them.

I get near the end of the alley, and see Bella pass by. I pick up my pace, and I run out to greet them. "Hey Bella, Seth, Leah," I say as all three stop and turn to look at me. "Happy Halloween! You all look great." I look Bella up and down; she makes a very cute butterfly. She has her face decorated with face paint, and an antenna headband on her head. Her wings have hand prints all over them. She also has jeans and a checkered shirt on.

"Happy Halloween, Edward," Seth and Leah both say with a smile on their faces.

"Have you been trick-or-treating?" I ask as they both nod their heads a little.

"I took them to the church. Aro, Felix, Garrett, and some of the girls met us there. I didn't want to take them to people's homes that I don't know, I just..." I hold my hand up; she really doesn't need to explain this.

"How would you like to come with me, to see Carlisle and his wife Esme? I know he and his wife would love to see you like this, and they have loads of candy."

Seth and Leah's eyes light up. "Can we, Bella, can we go and see the doc?" Bella smiles at them.

"We will need to take my car, as it is pretty far and the bus doesn't go that close to where their home is." I look at Seth and Leah who both look worried and sad.

"Bella, it's okay. We've got plenty of candy, and we can show the doc a picture," Seth says as Leah nods her head.

"We have loads here, and Zafrina gave us a bunch, too."

Bella has her eyes closed and shakes her head. "No, it's fine. We can go...I'll be fine, I trust..." she looks to me, "you." I smile at her.

"My car is this way," I say, leading them to my car. Bella helps get Leah and Seth strapped in. I then take Bella to her door. Before opening it, I stroke her arm and lean close to her. "Take it easy. If you need me to stop, I will." I smile at her. "I am so fucking proud of you." I open the door to let her get in before closing it. I quickly make my way around to my door and get in. I see that Bella is strapped in and has her eyes closed. I fiddle with my iPod, to find some relaxing music. I put on Yiruma, River Flows in You; I always find it to be relaxing.

I drive much slower than what I normally would, even slower than the last time when I had Seth and Leah in the car. Bella is doing very well; she has her eyes closed and has a grip on her seat. Her grip is so tight, that her fingers are turning blue. I place my hand over hers and rub it, knowing that I can comfortably drive with one hand without scaring her. I keep rubbing it, and slowly, her hand relaxes. As I turn the corner, her hand turns underneath mine and interlocks with my fingers. She gasps and her fingers loosen a little, but I grip her hand and face her briefly with a smile. Then I lift her hand to my mouth and kiss it twice. "You did amazing, Baby. We're here."

Bella smiles at me and lets out a breath. We all get out of the car, and Seth and Leah run into Bella's arms. They are clearly proud of their sister. "We love you, Bella," Seth says as Leah nods her head in agreement. Then they both hug her again and each place a kiss on her cheek.

"Come on, let's get in there before all the candy is gone." I hold my hand out, and Bella takes it. It is definitely getting easier for her to take my hand without thinking about it. Seth and Leah walk beside us, talking away to each other. I ring the doorbell, and then open the door. "Carlisle, Esme," I announce our arrival. We walk into the sitting area, and I hear Esme's voice coming down the hallway.

"Edward..." she stops, seeing Bella, Seth and Leah. Her eyes scan to my hand that is still in Bella's, and she smiles. "Hello again, it's Isabella, right?"

Bella nods her head. "Yes, Mrs. Esme. It's nice to see you again."

Esme shakes her head. "None of that Mrs. stuff please, just Esme. What would you like for me to call you, dear? Do you have a nickname that you like better, Isabella?"

Bella smiles at Esme. As much I hate how Esme pushes me, and the things she kept from me, she still has a good heart and has this warmth about her. "Please call me Bella."

Esme nods her head. "And who do we have here? I must say young man, that you are the most handsome cowboy I have ever met; and as for you, young lady, you are a very beautiful princess."

Both Seth and Leah smile at her. I watch as Seth smirks, taking his hat off and bowing his head. "Well, thank ya' Ma'am; that is very kind of you to say. This here is Princess Leah, my sister, and I'm Seth," he says in an exaggerated drawl. "Might I say that you are very pretty? Are you the doc's wife?" I chuckle into Bella's hair at Seth's charming effects on Esme, which are actually working. Esme's smile is big and bright as she nods her head at Seth.

"Bella, you're a very beautiful butterfly. Come on into the kitchen, I have some candy for you. Carlisle is on his way home. He should be here in a few minutes." We all walk to the kitchen. Seth and Leah take a seat, but Bella stays glued to my side. "Bella, your children are a delight, they are extremely polite and very nice."

I gasp and look at Bella, who has a big smile on her face. "Esme, that's very kind of you to say. They are great children." I look at Bella and frown that she didn't correct Esme's assumption.

I clear my throat. "Esme, Seth and Leah are actually Bella's brother and sister. Bella has been raising them alone for the last five years."

Esme looks at me with wide eyes, and then looks back to Bella. "I am so very sorry for assuming they were your children, my dear. Either way, they're both quite a credit to you, Bella; you've brought them up well." Bella smiles, while nodding her head.

"I hope you've saved me some candy, woman." I chuckle at the fact that we can hear Carlisle before we can see him. He walks into the kitchen and sees us sitting there. "Little One, Cowboy Seth, and Princess Leah, you are all looking really great tonight. I see you brought the grouch, Edward, with you." Seth and Leah chuckle at Carlisle's comment.

"I was making hot chocolate. Would you like some?" Seth and Leah nod their heads as soon as the word chocolate escapes Esme's lips. "How about you, Bella? Would you like some?" Bella looks at me and bites her lip. It's clear she's asking what it is.

"It's like the chocolate milkshakes, but warmer. They are delicious and very nice on a cool night. Esme makes the best hot chocolate around." Esme gives me a strange look, and I see Carlisle kiss her head and whisper in her ear.

"Yes, please, Esme. That sounds wonderful. Will Seth and Leah be okay with that? I mean, coffee and tea is served hot; I don't want them to burn themselves."

I push her loose hair back behind her ear, and smile at her. "Yes, they'll be fine. Esme will make it so theirs is barely warm. Ours will be warmer, but she would never give them something too hot for them." Bella nods her head.

Esme sets about making the hot chocolate, as the rest of us move over to the table and sit. "Where all have you guys all been tonight?" Carlisle asks, looking between us.

"We saw Zafrina. She lives next door to us; she gave us some candy," Leah starts.

"Then we went to our church, but it was closed. That's where we met Aro, Felix, Garrett, Sally, Makenna, Maggie, Emily, and Jane. All the other girls were already working, so we couldn't see them." Seth took over.

"We're not allowed to go to their workplace; it is for big people only. But they gave us each a big bag of candy," Leah says once Seth runs out of breath.

"Then we met Edward," Seth says as he looks at me with a smile.

"And we came here in his car," they both say together. Carlisle, Esme, Bella, and I all chuckle.

"What? We're twins. It's a twin thing, or so we've been told," they say together with a shrug and we all burst out laughing again.

Esme brings in the tray with the hot chocolate, some candy, and a caramel apple for everyone. I don't really think they all go together, but I love her homemade caramel. Seth and Leah's eyes go wide when they see the treats. "Wow, this looks amazing!" Leah says, taking her cup.

"It does. Thank you ma'am for making this for my sisters and me...oh, and the grouch, Edward, too." Seth chuckles and I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him.

"I want one of these," I say, taking the apple on a stick.

"What is it?" Leah asks, scrunching up her nose.

"This," I say, handing each of the kids one, "is a caramel apple."

"So, it's a good snack with candy on it?" Bella asks, making the same face as Leah.

"Yeah!" I reply happily as I hand Bella one. "Try it." I take a big bite out of mine, and Seth laughs as the juice from the apples squirts out and hits Bella in the face. Esme shakes her head as I start to laugh, grabbing a napkin.

"I'm sorry," I say with a mouth full of apple. I wipe the juice off her face as Bella tells me not to talk with food in my mouth. That makes us all laugh.

"Oh yeah; I like her," Esme says with laugh. "Are y'all having a good night?" she asks as she looks between the four of us.

"This is the best night ever!" Seth says, as Leah nods in agreement.

"Bella, can we get this drink sometime at home? It's so yummy and it makes me feel all warm inside." Leah looks at Bella, almost pleading. I think she likes the hot chocolate better than the apple.

Bella looks back at Leah, almost looking sad. "I would, but I don't know how to make it or if it will be as good as this. But I can try." I rub Bella's hand.

I look to Esme, who frowns for a spilt second before jumping up and going to her cupboard. I watch as she gets out a large tub of hot chocolate, small marshmallows, and the chocolate shavings as well. "Here is everything you will need; I have had this in that cupboard for a while now. No one ever asks me for it anymore, and I still have loads of the other tub left. You can take this and it will save me from throwing it all away. It is very easy to make, just place two spoons of the chocolate mix in a cup." Esme holds up the mix, to show what she means. "Then add hot water, or warm milk. Some people put sweetener in it, but that is up to you. I put two sugar cubes in each of your cups. After you stir it all together, you add marshmallows, and then the chocolate shavings go on the top." Bella nods her head. "If you use hot water, just add some milk to help cool it down for the two little ones. You do that before you add the marshmallows and chocolate shavings."

Bella looks at Esme, giving her a smile. "Thank you." Carlisle leans over and gives Esme a kiss.

Once we all are finished with the hot chocolate and apples, Esme hands each of us a bag of candy. "Now Edward, don't you eat all this in one sitting; I'll be asking Bella later if you did." She gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Bella, I gave you my phone number dear; call me anytime you are unsure about how to make the hot chocolate, or for anything at all, really." Bella nods her head. As I go to leave, Esme grabs my arm. "You should bring them all for Sunday dinner, Edward. She is an absolute delight, and if you're worried about the others, don't be. I will handle Rose and Alice; all I have to do is remind them whose house they are in. But all of them are welcome here anytime." I see Esme, who is looking at me with pride, and I nod my head, not really meaning it. I see Bella as a good friend. She has lunch with me every weekday, and with Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper on Wednesdays. I would even be okay with Esme joining us as well, but not Rose and Alice; at least not now...maybe never.

Seth and Leah get back into my car, and I walk Bella around to her side. "Charlotte, I mean Chas, from this morning; she does her house up every year. I'm sure they would love it if we stop by to look. Would you mind if we drop in on our way home? She would love to see you again."

Bella frowns. "She saw me this morning. Why would she want to see me again so soon?"

I chuckle a little. "She was very taken with you. She doesn't have many close girls that are her true friends. She sees what I see in you; one of the most beautiful people in this world. Of course she wants you as her friend." Bella blushes and nods her head. I open her door to let her get in before closing it behind her.

We drive to Charlotte and Peter's house, arriving quickly. They only live ten doors down from Carlisle and Esme, which might seem to be within walking distance, but it is still three miles away.

"Oh my God, look at that!" Seth and Leah squeal out as they bounce in their seats. "Are we going in there Edward? Bella? Are we?"

"Yes we are, and you better stay close or a vampire or zombie might get you." I open my door and look at Charlotte's house. She has a large front yard covered in coffins.

She has a misty fog all over the garden, while the outside of her home is covered with spiderwebs and skulls. It looks quite scary. As we begin to move up the path, Bella's grip on my hand tightens. Just as Seth and Leah pass a coffin, it springs open and Bella jumps, grabbing a hold of my jacket. Both Leah and Seth turn and laugh at her. I rub her back, trying to hold back the chuckle, but I can feel her heart pounding.

"Hush Bella, it's okay. See, it's just a prop; it's not real, just pretend. Seth stepped on the trigger," I say. I point to the small air bag that triggers the casket to open.

Bella looks at me. "I know, but I never...it's just that, this is the first..."

I stroke her face in a calming manner. "I'm so sorry Bella; we can just go back to the car if you want to."

She shakes her head at me. "No, I'll be fine; I just got a little frightened. Besides, you're here and you'll protect me, right?" She looks directly at me, and I can see her eyes are pleading with me to agree.

"Always, Bella. I will always protect you from anyone and everyone." I will; I'll even protect her from myself. Once I reassure her, we continue to the door.

"Seth, I think you should knock. You're the oldest," Leah whispers to him and he shakes his head.

"Nah...Edward can. He's the oldest, so he should knock." All three of them look right at me, and I chuckle. I lift my hand to knock, and just as I'm about to, a knock comes from the other side of the door. This causes us all to jump back and stare at the door as it slowly opens. Seth, Leah, and Bella all step behind me and I look at them, shaking my head.

"Come on you guys, we'll be fine." I walk through the door, being careful and looking around for any triggers. Since I don't see any, I turn around. "See there is nothing to be scared of. Come on in." They look at me cautiously before I turn around again, moving forward when a skeleton drops down in front of me. "FUCKING HELL!" I scream out and hit the skeleton away from myself. I hear all the laughter behind me. "Yeah, yeah; come on. I'm not doing this by myself." I clasp Bella's hand in mine and interlock our fingers. She holds out her hand to Seth, which he grabs ahold of. I feel small arms wrap around my waist, and I look down to see Leah looking worried. She moves to take her arms away, but I rub her back to keep her close and give her a smile. Pushing down those guilty feelings which seem to be coming back, I pull her a little closer so that she knows it's okay.

We walk further in, going past all the scary props that are here. I tell you, Charlotte missed her calling. She should make haunted houses full time. She would make a killing. I drag them further in, but I'm unsure of where to go. I have never been here before.

"Well, what do we have here? An enchanted princess, a handsome Cowboy, a pretty little butterfly, and a great big...grouch," Peter's voice shakes a little. I look at him; he is in a cloak with a mask covering his face. "Oh my, I have seen some scary things before in my life, but you, my friend, are the biggest, scariest thing I have ever seen!"

I roll my eyes at him. "Peter, have you looked in the mirror lately? Oh, you should wait until you take off the mask; it will be so much scarier then." At that, Peter pulls his mask away from his face. "God! Peter, no! Put it back on; you're going to scare the children," I say as I cover Leah's eyes.

"Oh, so funny. Come on, follow me; the witch is waiting for you." Seth and Leah chuckle and Bella shakes her head. We follow Peter around the maze they have made throughout their home. "Here they are, my Queen." Peter bows down, and I look to see Charlotte smiling at us.

"Well what have you brought me this time, my little pet?" she asks, patting Peter's head like he's a big dog. He even acts the part, which, in turn, makes Seth and Leah laugh some more.

"My Queen, we have the rarest beautiful butterfly with us. None are as pretty as this one. An enchanted princess; she is the most coveted of them all. The bravest cowboy to walk our lands, who is also full of charm and wisdom; then there was this great big grouch following them."

Again Seth and Leah laugh at me being called a grouch. "I don't think that you're a grouch," Bella whispers into my ear. I smile at her, pull her hand to my lips and kiss it. She blushes, and looks to the floor.

"Well, my friends, I have a treasure for you, but you must answer me this. While on my way to St. Ives, I saw a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks. Each sack had seven cats. Each cat had seven kittens. Kitten, cats, sacks, wives, how many were going to St. Ives?"

Seth and Leah think about the riddle. They look at each other, and then to Bella. "Bella, can you help us by adding them up?"

Bella smiles at them, and leans into me. "The answer is just one right? She is the only one going to St. Ives." I smile at her and nod my head. "If you want me to count it all up, it comes to 2801, not including her," Bella says pointing to Charlotte. "But, if you listen to the beginning again, you will hear the correct answer; I," Bella says, pointing to herself, "was on MY way to St. Ives. I saw a man," she stops and points to Peter, "with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats, and each cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks, wives, how many were GOING to St. Ives?"

They look at her, and Leah smiles. "It's just you!"

Seth scratches his head. "But, where was the man going with his wives?"

Bella shrugs her shoulders. "With that many wives, sacks, cats, and kittens, I hope he was going home."

Leah and Seth look at each other. "Their home must be as big as this one, to fit all them in it."

"So, my friends, do you have an answer for me?"

The three of them look at each other and nod their heads. "Just one," they say together.

"Well done! You have won the treasure. Come with me," she says as she opens the cupboard and hands them each a bag of candy. I see her smile as she hands Bella a bag of candy, too. "Sorry, Mr. Grouch; no candy for you." I pretend to pout as Charlotte starts talking to Seth and Leah.

Bella leans in close to me. "I'll share mine with you. There is far too much here, anyway."

I shake my head at her. "It's okay, Bella, I'm fine. Esme gave me some, so I'm okay. Plus, I need to watch it. I really do have a sweet tooth, and I always end up buying more. The more I eat, the harder Emmett will make me work out at the gym." Bella smiles at me and bites her lip, looking at her watch. I look at mine and see that it is almost nine o'clock. "Why don't we get Seth and Leah home?" She nods her head at me. "Charlotte, Peter, thanks for the entertainment, but we need to leave and get the cowboy and princess home to bed."

Charlotte smiles at me. "We'll walk you out." We head back the way we came in. As we walk to the front door, I see Jasper open the door and enters with Alice. Jasper gives me a puzzled look and smiles at Bella. Alice looks up and her face pales as she sees Bella, Seth, and Leah.

She turns to me raising, her eyebrows. "Well, hello there. Isabella, isn't it?" Alice says in a snarky tone.

Bella looks at her and moves back from Alice. "Yes Ma'am," Bella replies, keeping her tone normal.

"Edward, I need to have a word with you. Now!" Alice grips onto my arm and pulls on me.

"Alice; Bella needs to get Seth and Leah home to bed, and I have told you to leave this alone," Jasper says.

Alice glares at him, than glares at me. "Your choice. I can say my peace here if you'd like?"

I shake my head at her. "Not over here. Jasper, can you please walk them to my car?" I ask, handing him my keys to unlock the doors and start the engine, so it can warm up the car. "Bella, I'll only be a minute or two." Bella nods her head and walks away with Jasper and the children. Charlotte and Peter walk away as well.

"What the fuck is your fucking problem, Assward? You pass up Siobhan for that young slut with kids? How could you do that? All she sees is your money! Fuck, Edward! You are the dumbest genius that I have ever known. Are you so blind that you really can't see a good woman when she is right in front of you? That trashy slut and those kids are just going to fuck you over. You're so fucking stupid to think you can use them to replace him."

I slowly count to ten a few times before opening my mouth. "Those kids are her siblings, not her children. As far as I am aware, she has been caring for them for over five years. She just turned twenty-four, which means that she was just eighteen when she started working. She has had to work at least two jobs to support them this entire time. She has never once asked me for anything. I have to twist my words to get her to eat fucking lunch with me. You know absolutely nothing about her, and yet you sat there and heard all the shit Siobhan said. She only sees me as eye candy, and someone to use to get what she wants." Alice goes to interrupt, but I hold my hand up. "We are done, Alice. I no longer see you as a friend, or a family member. You have turned into a spiteful bitch. Don't call me again because I will no longer speak to you."

Alice looks at me. "What about Jasper?"

I chuckle almost in her face. "Jasper has known about her from the very beginning. If you had just asked him, he would've told you she's a good person."

She looks at me. "Yeah, all that he said is that, his 'Little Lady' was good, and had a good heart; one of the best he has seen."

I look at her and chuckle. Fuck, she is jealous of Jasper's relationship with Bella. "I can't believe you feel insecure about Jasper's feelings for you; after all, you're the one that lied to him, and me, to gain his attention. You continued to lie throughout your relationship, while he has always been up front with you. And even if he did feel that way about Bella, you should talk to him about it, and not take it out on her." At that, I begin to walk away. I am so done with her bullshit.

I get to my car and see Jasper frowning. "Looks like I'm staying in the spare room from now on."

I look at him shocked as he continues. "She has gone too far Edward, especially with all the things she said at the ball. To top it all off, she is still talking to Siobhan like she didn't do anything wrong. I tried to tell her a little about Bella, about her kindness and gentleness. She is stuck on her own idea that you should be with Siobhan. That is not her choice, and she should see that she is wrong. Until then," he shrugs his shoulders at me.

**~HCV~**

We arrive back at Bella's apartment, and both Seth and Leah have fallen asleep on the drive home. Bella was in a pickle about how to get them upstairs. In the end, I pick Seth up and carry him in one arm, while Bella helps me by placing Leah on my other arm. I carry them up the stairs to her apartment as she opens the door for us. I take them to their room, and lay them each on their own bed.

Bella undresses and puts them in their pajamas, then tucks them in before giving them a kiss on the head. I feel my heart swell as I observe this girl's motherly instincts shining through, and I feel myself smile. I walk her back to the living room and we sit on the couch.

"Thank you, Edward. Apart from the car rides, which are getting easier, I had fun. They had a good night, too, so thank you for taking us to your friends' homes tonight."

I move her hair away from her face. "Anytime, and remember, they are now your friends, as well."

She bites her lip and turns her body to face me, while I match her movement. "Would you like some candy?" she asks shyly.

I nod my head. "Bella, why don't you go and get changed for bed while I make us some hot chocolate? It's a great drink to have before bedtime." She jumps up, and leaves for her box. It takes a few minutes to make the hot chocolate, and I place the cups upon the table as I see Bella coming back in. This time, she's in a tank top and a pair of pajama bottoms, but fuck, she still looks sexy in them. She sits down next to me with her bag of candy.

She takes out the pink bag before handing me the other bag. "Take anything you like."

Hmm, I would like to take you, love...

I cut the sex addict off before looking in the bag. I take some small pieces of my favorite, Hershey Kisses, out of it. I look and see Bella with a note. The strap on her top has fallen off her shoulders, and I can see that she is not wearing a bra under her top. Of course this is like an open invitation for the pervert in me to check her out, allowing my eyes to go to her tits, which are fucking great. Fuck me, really great. I know there is at least a good handful there...argh. I look back up at her face, and see her trying to read the note.

"Come over here, Baby, and I'll help you with it." She moves right over to me and leans over a little.

"Dear Isabella. Here is a...ch...oc...late...Chocolate cock for you!" I cough when she reads the word cock, and I look over at the note, surprised to see that what she is reading is correct. "Ma...ma...k...e ma...k make sure Seth and Leah do not see it." She smiles proudly at the note and reaches into the bag, taking out a chocolate cock. She chuckles a little and goes back to the note. "It's hard, so you will have to su...kk..." She frowns at the last word. "su...k suck on it." Tell her you have a hard cock she can suck on. I slap my forehead. "From, the girls." I look to see Bella taking it out of the box and she gasps. "It's so big!" Hey if you think that is big, you should see my monster! Bella peels the wrapping off of it, and begins to lick it. I know for a fact she has no idea what she is doing, but I am rock-fucking hard just watching her. "Would you like some?"

I shake my head at her. "No," my voice sounds squeaky. "I'm fine." She looks at me puzzled.

"Hey, I think this is one of those man things Sally was telling me about." I give her the look that she now knows as the signal to keep talking. "She told me that she once had a toy cock, and her ex made her throw it away because it was bigger than him. She said men get intimidated by anything that is bigger than what they are." I look at her in shock. "I didn't know you could get a toy cock. I thought she seemed a little old to be playing with toys, but she says cocks are for adults only." I shake my head as Bella continues to lick the chocolate cock; then, as I'm about to speak, she places it in her mouth and sucks on it. Suddenly I feel like I'm about to come in my pants.

Pulling it from her mouth, she leans it toward me. "No, that is yours, Bella."

She looks at me and pouts a little. "Please share with me. I know you like chocolate. Don't you like cocks?" No, I am a pussy man. I chuckle out a breathless laugh as I shake my head again. Bella goes to put it back in her mouth, but I can't take it anymore, so I grab her hand, pulling it towards my mouth, and bite off the tip of the cock. "Hey, Edward! You bit off my cock's head."

She gives me a look as I choke over her words. "Sorry baby, just a little much for me; I better be going." She looks sad at that, causing me to feel sad also. I know my feelings for Bella are changing. Into what, I don't know yet. I have never felt this close or protective towards anyone before. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bella. Have a good night."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," she says smiling.

"Enjoy your chocolate cock," I say as I lean over, placing my hand on her face and kissing her head. I freeze because I'm awfully close to her face now, and I have never kissed her there before. Well, not when she was awake, anyway. She turns her head to my hand and gives it a small kiss as she smiles. I know I need to get out of here, before I do something stupid.

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><p><strong>AN: Well who thinks Alice may learn from her display of piss poor behavior this time? Don't you just love Chas? We do because we think she is the bomb diggity. Was you surprised that Aro approached Edward about going with Bella and the kids, versus his time at the club? **

**We are very interested in hearing from you. Remember, those of you who leave us a review will get a teaser for the next chapter! The next chapter is titled: The Break-In**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: As always the Characters and lines included from the twilight series are the sole ownership of Stephenie Meyer, the story line, plot and actions of the characters with in this story are the sole ownership of WeeKittyAndTAT.**

**We want to give a HUGE shout out to all our wonderful ladies who help make HCV what it is. Thanks: Jess, Sally, Sarah, Jessie, Julie, Mel, and Christine. Thanks to our twilighted validation Beta Content1. You are a fine bunch of ladies to work with.**

**All mistakes are our own.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: The Break In<strong>

It's Saturday, and we are counting down to Thanksgiving. Alice has called me numerous times, and left well over one hundred text messages and voice mails. I have dealt with each and every one of them the same way. Without reading or listening to them, I just hit delete.

During one of my talks with Carlisle, Esme found out about the stunt Alice pulled. At first, I thought she would take Alice's side, but was stunned when I found her on the phone giving Alice a piece of her mind. Jasper has also said that he and Alice are talking, but not back to normal yet. Jasper is really pissed at her.

Esme called me yesterday, and to my surprise asked me if I would still come over for Thanksgiving dinner. She told me that she would understand if I didn't want to come. She said it was my choice, and she would still make my dinner and bring it over to my house or Midnight Sun, if I wanted. Not once did she try and force my hand. After much thought, I told her that I'd be there. I do enjoy spending time with the guys, even more so in the last few weeks. I know that they all were hoping that I would come, and I also know that I owe them a lot. I told them that I will join them and stay, as long as Alice and Rose keep their mouths shut. Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper have promised to keep them under control.

Things with Bella are still going really well; too well, in fact. She...fuck! Every time I see her, I want to hold her close. It's no longer just me having dirty thoughts about her, a lot of dirty thoughts about her, which I still am, but I also want to hug her, lie with her, make love to her, and that's really fucking scary for me, for lots of reasons. I'm worried, because I wonder if she could even cope in that type of relationship. I've been a pussy about it, because I haven't had the guts to ask Peter or Jasper what they think. I know it's because I'm afraid they might say she can't handle it, or I'm not good enough for her. I already know that I'm not, but one can always hope for his own redemption.

These thoughts are in my head all the time, and are causing an adverse effect when I'm at Aro's. I now only go on Mondays. I went the Friday after Halloween, but couldn't bring myself to touch Sally without the help of a toy. Then on the Monday after that, I was with Irina, and again, I only used toys on her, as well. By Wednesday, I felt like something was missing, but I just couldn't work out what it was. On Friday, I found myself at UW, waiting for Bella after canceling my time at Aro's. After I spent the night with Bella, Seth, and Leah, I knew what was missing from my week.

Mondays at the club, things are much different. The past two Mondays, I have given Carmen and then Maria pleasure, but I have not fucked them. I did make Carmen suck my cock, and I blew my load all over her huge tits. Maria gave me a hand job the following week. I can't bring myself to fuck any of them, and it's disturbing. Yet I know what and who it is that I do want. I need to stop being with any of the girls, because even them touching me, or sucking me off, feels like cheating. I feel guilty that they have had their hands or mouths on me. I know there is no way I could deal with the guilt of having full-on sex with them anymore. The last time I had intercourse was the Friday before Halloween, and I had to imagine I was with Bella to get hard.

The past two Fridays with Bella, Seth, and Leah, have been fucking great. I pick Bella up from UW at the end of her shift, and we have a late dinner together. I order take out for us, and we go back to her place. Seth and Leah eat with us, and we talk about our day. We have had some really great Chinese and Indian food the past two weeks, and I love getting the children and Bella to try new types of cuisine. After we eat, we sit and watch a movie before Bella takes Seth and Leah to bed. After they're asleep, Bella and I talk for a few hours. So far, she has ended up falling asleep on me each time. I always pull her into my arms and hold her close to me for a bit. This is my own selfish need of wanting her near me. I don't do anything inappropriate, but I do love having her in my arms. After a while, I carry her to her bed, and check on Seth and Leah before I leave. These Friday nights are wonderful, but carry a different kind of guilt for me. It's slowly getting worse, and I know that I need to talk to someone about it and soon.

***HCV***

I am at Midnight Sun, manning the bar when my cell phone vibrates. Taking it from my pocket, I see that it says 'My Baby Girl' on the screen; I smile as I answer it. "Hey Baby, I was just thinking about you." I see Katie glare at me from the other side of the bar.

"Edward, do you know how to fix a door? The door is off, and I can't get it back on."

I chuckle a little. "Yeah, Baby, I'm sure I can fix that for you. I'll head over in about an hour." I place Katie's drink order on her tray, giving her a pointed look that says 'fuck off'. Just because Bella has managed to start breaking down the walls around my heart, doesn't mean Katie stands a chance in hell. Well, if I'm being honest, I guess the walls are already broken because she is currently nestled nicely inside my heart. I gave her the key to my heart willingly, but I'm not sharing that with anyone else. I will never deal with another gold digging, free loading, fake ass woman, ever again.

"I'm sorry. It's just that Zafrina isn't home. She had a date tonight. I just...I didn't know who to call."

I chuckle, shaking my head even though she can't see it. "Bella, I told you to call me anytime. Do you want me to come right now?" Taylor looks at me, giving me a nod to say that he will lock up.

"You have to work, but...well we...I think we should be okay until you're done."

I furrow my brow. There is something in her voice that is off; she sounds scared. "No, I am done right now and ready to leave. I'll see you soon." I hang up, collecting my jacket before heading over to Bella's apartment.

It takes me very little time to get there, and when I do, I take the stairs two at a time. As soon as I see her front door, I know that something is really wrong. It looks as if someone kicked it in. I push it open to see her living room covered in broken shards of colored glass. The TV, DVD player, and DVD's are out of place. The small sofa has been torn apart, and the bookcase and small TV stand are broken as well. In the middle of the room, I see Bella trying to clean up the mess.

"Baby Bella, what happened?" Her head shoots up, and when she looks at me, I see a glimpse of relief on her face.

She shakes her head, looking fucking heartbroken. "I don't know. We were at the park, and went to the library; they had story time today. When we got back, the door was hanging open and our stuff was gone, or broken all over the place. I checked out the apartment, but no one was here. I tried to fix the door, but it's just too heavy, and I didn't even know how to fix it. Zafrina is gone away on a date, and I'm not sure when she will be back."

I look around the room, fucking pissed. Who the fuck robs someone one who has nothing to begin with? I move over to her, and pull her into my arms. Not until I have my arms wrapped around her, do I realize what I have done. I feel her arms go around me, holding me tight. I sigh in relief and pull her even closer to me. "Fuck, Baby! I'm so sorry. Have you called the police yet?"

She starts shaking more. "No, I can't...you can't call them, either. Promise me you won't call them. They...they will take them away...please!"

I look at her, puzzled as to why she is getting so worked up, but I nod my head and promise not to call them. "Baby, where are Seth and Leah?"

She pulls away from me, and I am miserable because she is no longer in my arms. "They're in their bedroom. I carried them in one at a time, after I checked to make sure the place was empty. I didn't want them hurt; they're playing with their toys. We picked up their room and fixed the mess in there right away. Then I tried to fix the door after that, but I couldn't, so I called you. I picked up the kitchen, and put the drawers back while I was waiting for you."

"Did you check out the room across the hall from your room?" Bella shakes her head and bites her lip. "Baby, I have to go check it out. I need to make sure that no one is in there. I need to make sure there isn't anything broken or destroyed."

"I don't want to get in trouble for going in there; it will get me into a lot of trouble."

"Baby, it would be worse if there was someone in there hiding who could hurt you or the twins." I see the absolute fear in her eyes, and I hate that I've scared her, but I need her to let me go in there. We walk down the hall, and stop at the children's room.

"Baby, I want you to go in with Seth and Leah, okay? If you hear me yell or anything strange, I want you to call Aro immediately. Do you understand?" She nods her head as I hand her my blackberry with Aro's number already keyed in. "Just press the green button and it will automatically call him, alright?" She nods her head again, and I wave hi to the kids as she goes in the room.

I close the door behind her and walk back to the living room. I see one of the table legs from the television stand, and grab it. I highly doubt anyone is in there, but if there is, they will get the beat down of their life. Making my way to the bitch's room, I slowly open the door. It is rather dark inside the room, because the lights are not on. I can see the littered papers and things thrown about the room, though. Whoever broke in was in here, too. I find the light switch and turn on the lights. No one is in here, but there are papers and clothing strewn around the room. I don't want to do this tonight, so I will have to figure out a way to get Bella to allow me to straighten up the room some other time. I hope that somewhere in all these papers and things, I can finally get some answers about this Sue Swan. I sigh after checking the room over, turn off the lights, and close the door behind me.

I go back to Seth and Leah's room after putting the table leg back in the living room. When I open the door, I see Bella and the kids playing together on the floor. "Okay Baby, the coast is clear. Let's finish getting this mess picked up so we can get some dinner, okay?"

Bella nods, and then turns her attention back to the children. "After I get all the glass and mess picked up, you two can bring a book out to the living room and read."

"Okay," they both say together. I watch as Bella kisses them both on the head and then comes over and hands me my blackberry. We shut the door, and head back to the living room.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do about the door. Do you have a screwdriver that I can use?"

Bella nods her head and points to the kitchen. "The tools I have are all in the first drawer, under the kettle." I take off my jacket and place it over the back of the destroyed sofa. I move into the kitchen and open the drawer. After finding the tools I need, I look around the room. Something isn't right. There is something missing, but what, I can't figure out. I move back to the front door, and see that there is no way in hell I can fix it. I'll be able to rig it up for a few days, but that is about it. Whoever the fucking asshole is who did this, better hope I never find him or her, or them. If I catch who did this, I am going to kick the fuck out of them. I let out a breath and pick up my blackberry and call Aro.

"Il Mio Amore, Felix speaking."

I rub my forehead. "Hey Felix it's Ed...I mean, Anthony."

Bella's head snaps up, giving me a confused look, and I wave her off. I hope she understands that I'll explain it later. She nods her head and goes back to cleaning up. I walk over to her as I speak, and stroke my hand across her shoulder. "I need to speak to Aro right away. It is of extreme importance, it's about Bella...Isabella." Bella seems to have frozen in her stance on the floor. "Baby, are you okay? Aro needs to know, so he can get you a new door." She bites her lip and nods her head in understanding.

"What happen to Isabella?" Aro barks into the phone.

"Aro, I am here at Bella's apartment. She called me for help because her apartment was broken into this evening. The front door needs to be replaced. I can patch it up, but it won't do for long term use."

I hear Aro shouting in Italian. He is speaking so quickly I'm not sure I'm understanding everything he's saying. I do hear bits and pieces. "Per la strada', 'ottenere le informazioni', 'fine dellagiornata' 'a battere' vita anchein moltipezzi'! Which loosely translates into 'on the road', 'get info','end of the day', 'beatings', 'lives in many parts'." I hear a little rustling and I hear Aro's voice speaking back into the phone. "Help her to write a list with everything that needs repaired, and what is gone. I will replace it. Tell her it is covered with her insurance that is included with the rent. I'll have someone there tonight to fix the door. I'll speak to you when you've got that list." He hangs up after that; it's clear he's not a happy man. I'm quite sure he plans to deal with the scum bags who did this, and I'm glad.

It takes another forty minutes before the living room and kitchen are cleaned up. I have the door temporarily fixed, and Aro has called to say someone is on the way. I ask him if he knows yet who did this, and he tells me no. He did say Felix has been ordered to catch and bring them to him, so he can deal with them. Seth and Leah have come out of their room, each with a book. They want to be closer to Bella, so they're both sitting on the sofa that I covered with Bella's sleeping bag. I walk over to them, kneeling on the floor between them.

"How are you two doing? I know that this must have given you both a scare."

They both nod their heads, and Leah looks like she is close to crying. "Yeah, I didn't like it. I was scared because Bella made us stay out in the hall while she came in here; she said she had to look in each room in case they were still here." Leah's lip quivers the entire time she speaks. I frown at how stupid Bella had been; she should've called me right away.

"They even took our money. Now Leah can't buy the books she was wanting, and I can't get the player that plays CD's. I have been saving up for a long time. I almost had enough for it and some music CDs, too. Bella said we would go shopping on Friday," Seth says. I watch as he hugs Leah. I place a hand on each child's shoulder and give them a little squeeze.

"What money are you talking about?" I stand up and look down at them; I can't keep myself from frowning.

"We save up all the money Bella gives us each week. We put it in our piggy banks, but they are all broken now. That's what all the glass was in here, and all our money is gone."

I close my eyes and try to calm my breathing. Fuck! They took the kids' money, which means they took all the other money she had too! Fuck. I give them a smile. "I'll be right back; I'm just going to check on Bella. I'll see how she is doing with your dinner."

I jump up and head into the kitchen, finding Bella on the floor shaking badly. "Baby Bella, what's wrong, love?" I sit next to her on the floor, and pull her onto my lap. I hope this is okay. I hold her in my arms as she slowly stops shaking.

"They took everything. Everything is gone: the TV, movie player, and movies. I don't know what I can do, Edward. They even took our food. Why would they do that? They took Seth and Leah's juice, and even the hot chocolate that Esme gave us. Why? They took all our money, so I can't get anymore, either. I don't know what to do. What am I going to do? They need to eat." I close my eyes again and take another deep breath. I mean, who the fuck steals food from someone who is clearly struggling?

"It's all right, Bella. This is what's going to happen," I lift her chin so she is looking in my eyes for my next three words. "DO NOT ARGUE with me. We are going to pack clothes for each of you, and you're all coming home with me. You're not staying here tonight, and maybe not tomorrow, either. When we get to my house, I'll call and order some dinner for us. Once Seth and Leah are in bed, we will make a list of what was taken. Aro wants a complete list of everything missing, including money. Tomorrow, I will take all of us shopping, and replace what is gone. Then I'll take you food shopping, no if, ands, or buts, Bella. Aro will pay me back from the insurance company. I want to do this for you, because you are my friend. You, Seth, and Leah, are fucking important to me. Please...please, let me do this without me making you or you arguing with me. Please, Baby," I say with my voice breaking at the end. Bella hugs me tightly, and starts to rub my back with one of her hands. Fuck me. It was her apartment that was broken into, and she is consoling me. She pulls back enough to look me in the face and she nods her head at me. I get up, set her on her feet, and watch as she walks out of the kitchen.

Bella packs up their bags, and I help her leave a note for Zafrina. I also text Aro, and let him know of my plan. We drive to my home, and Seth and Leah's eyes about bulge out of their heads when they see it. "Edward, is this where you live? It looks so nice," Leah says.

I chuckle as I talk. "Come on, guys. Let's get inside and get something to eat for supper." We walk in, and I'm just about to speak, when I get cut off by Seth.

"Oh my God, Bella! He has a grand piano. It is just like the one I want! Look," Seth says, his voice filled with so much excitement. He starts to move quickly in its direction, but Bella catches his arm.

"Seth, please don't touch Edward's things without asking first. It cost him a lot of money. It's not a toy."

Seth looks at her, and then to me. "I'm sorry, Edward; I didn't mean to touch your grand piano. Miss Miller doesn't like me playing on hers, but I have played on the one at the college. Mr. Marcus said it was okay, and I really liked it. He even said I was really good for a kid who never had any lessons."

I chuckle at his excitement. "He really is good," Leah adds in.

I look at Bella, as if to ask her what she thinks. "I think he is really great, too. He played a song that Mr. Marcus had on the radio. He said that Seth could play on the piano for a bit, after Seth told him that he read a book about pianos. So when I took them to the college with me, Mr. Marcus would let him play. He had only played on it seven times before he played the song that Mr. Marcus had on the radio that first time. Mr. Marcus said that he could be a child prodigy and a musical genius."

I look at her somewhat puzzled before turning to Seth. "Seth, would you like to play on my piano?"

His eyes light up and he nods his head. "What should I play?" he asks, looking at me.

"I know! What about the song that Edward had on the car on the way to the doc's house? That was a nice song, and I liked it a lot," says Leah. Seth nods his head, walks to the piano, and sits, opening the cover and closing his eyes. I watch him, amazed at his clear and natural talent. He hasn't even played yet and I can see how he is counting the music in his head. Then, his hands center over middle C. As they start to move, he begins hitting the keys, and I am speechless. He plays the entire song. It is a little off, but fuck, he does really well. I look at Bella, who is looking at Seth proudly.

When he ends the song, both Bella and Leah start clapping, which brings me out of my trance. "Well done, Seth; that was really good."

He looks down, almost sadly. "I missed some notes, and made six mistakes in it, but thank you for letting me play."

I shake my head at him. "Seth, I was ten before I could play that song all the way through without any mistakes, and I began playing when I was two. My dad taught me. Trust me when I say you did great, even better than great, actually. You did amazing! If you'd like...if you all would like, on Friday's, we can come here to hang out, and you can play more?" Seth nods his head excitedly. I turn to speak to Bella. "Baby, I thought Seth and Leah could have the second room tonight. There is a king sized bed in there. You can use the first room. Why don't you take them up there, and show them where everything is. I will call and order dinner and be right up."

She nods her head, and to my surprise, hugs me. "Thank you so much for doing that for him," she whispers into my ear and then leaves with Seth and Leah.

Bella takes Seth and Leah to the room that they will be sleeping in. When I get upstairs, I make sure to show them Bella's room. After seeing the damage done to her place, I knew that their toiletries were destroyed, and I was suddenly glad that Esme had stocked my guest bathrooms so well.

"Hey, Seth and Leah; this bathroom is yours to use while you're here. There is a brand new toothbrush for each of you, and all kinds of different soaps. You have the same things in your bathroom, Baby," I say, turning to Bella. They all smile at me, and I feel happy knowing that they are taken care of tonight. "Well, let's go back downstairs and wait for our pizza. They said it would take about ninety minutes for delivery tonight."

"Yay! I love pizza," Seth says while Leah and Bella giggle at him.

Waiting for dinner to arrive, we decide to put in a movie. With something to pass the time, it doesn't take long before the pizza arrives. Placing it on the kitchen table, I go in and get everyone to eat. We all sit at the table, and the only thing I put out for everyone is napkins. Seth and Leah are wide eyed over the two large pizzas in front of us all.

"Wow! This looks like the picture on the box pizza we get, but better," Seth says.

I lean back in my chair as Bella gets up. "Wait, I'll get you plates and forks to eat with."

She passes me as I shake my head at her, and pull her into my lap. "Baby, you eat pizza with your hands. That's part of the fun," I say, picking up a slice. I keep my other hand around Bella's waist, and make a show out of taking a big bite of my slice. "Hmm, now this is some good pizza," I say, licking my lips. I smile at Bella, who is still nestled in my lap. Fuck, why does this feel so fucking right with her here in my arms? "Dig in guys," I say, not really recognizing my own voice.

Seth and Leah don't need to be told twice, and they both grab a slice and start eating. I have to give Bella a pointed look, though, so that she will eat too. She gets off my lap and sits beside me in her chair, and I miss her closeness already. I watch her as she tentatively grabs a small slice and takes a bite. I love the sparkle in her eyes and she tastes all the flavors. I know that she likes it, but what isn't to like? Pigiacci's Pizza is one of the best in Seattle.

Dinner goes by quickly, and we watch the rest of the movie when everyone is done. Now, Seth and Leah have gone up for a bath, and I am down here with everything rolling around in my mind. Bella is with them, so I take this chance to call Carlisle. I need to talk to someone, because I feel like I am losing it. Normally, I would call Jazz, but fuck! Alice could pick up, and right now I would probably end up taking this shit out on her. "Hello, Cullen's. Esme speaking."

I let out a breath."Good evening, Esme. Is Carlisle there? I need to speak to him." I take some calming breaths, able to clearly hear the anger in my voice.

"I am sorry, Edward; he has been called into the hospital tonight. There was a rather bad car crash earlier. Can I help with something? I know you don't like talking things through with me, but I am here, even if you just need to unload some stuff. Just fire it at me and I'll listen."

I look to the floor, not really sure how to take what she said. "It's Bella. Someone fucking broke into her apartment and she...they didn't have much." I chuckle darkly. "They barely had anything, in fact, and fuck all...they even took Seth and Leah's piggy bank money. They took the money she needs to pay her bills. The same bill money which she busts her ass to earn, and it takes her working two fucking jobs to do it. Who fucking does shit like that? I mean, really! Who? They even took her food, Esme. Her food! She had this turkey she bought on Friday when she asked me to help her get the Thanksgiving dinner stuff. She was so pleased and proud that she could give them a nice dinner, just like all their friends get. She was happy that she was able to afford to get everything. Esme, she even told me that they had never had a real Thanksgiving dinner before; this was going to be their first one. Why? Why would someone do that? Now she has had something she was so proud of, taken from her, too. How can anyone be this cruel? If you had been in her apartment, you would not have wanted to take her stuff. It was clear they had next to nothing." As soon as I start talking, I just cannot stop. "She is such a good person, Esme. A really fucking good person, and to have someone do this to her...to them, makes me very angry. I mean, all she wants to do is to give those children the basic necessities, and stuff that everyone, including myself, takes for granted."

I hear Esme take a deep breath. "Are they okay, apart from the shock and upset of it? None of them are hurt, are they? None of them were there when this happened, right?"

I flop to the seat and sigh. "I am not sure, Esme. Bella is good at blocking shit out because so much has happened to her already. None of them were there when it happened, but they are all upset. I don't know if she will ever tell me everything; she's been hurt so badly. Really badly, and not just by her fucked up, sorry excuse for parents, but also by her uncle, who is clearly a complete bastard. I'm sorry for all the swearing. I know you don't like it, but thank you for listening to me rant."

I hear her chuckle, and it brings a half-hearted smile to my face. "Anytime, sweetie. I'm not sure you'll agree to this, but I'll ask anyway. Would you consider bringing them here with you for Thanksgiving? I would love to have them here, and I know the boys would love it if they were here, as well. I'll speak to Rose and Alice. I swear I will, and they'll behave. You don't have to answer me now, just think about it, but please know I mean it when I say they are always welcome here with you. I like her, Edward. I mean, I really like her. She and the twins are good people. I can see that, and that they're good for you. Just think about it, okay? We could give them a good Thanksgiving. It would be nice to have children at my table again; it's been a long time."

"I'll think about it," I say, not sure how to respond.

"Edward, I'm going to say this really quickly, and I want you to hear me out, please. I need to tell you that I am so sorry about my behavior over the last five years. I was worried about you, but I shouldn't have been pushing you when you weren't ready. I hope someday you will forgive me for my misdeeds. I'll let you get back to them now, but remember that I love you very much, Son." Before I can respond to her, she hangs up the phone. I let out a sigh; I do love Esme, very much. There is a huge part of me that understands why she did what she did, but the hurt and blame is still very much there, also.

Bella comes back in, biting her lip. "Is everything okay, Baby?" I ask, waving her over to me. She comes over, but then just stands and looks at me. I roll my eyes and pull her back down on my lap. "What's wrong? I can see it plain as day on your face. Just talk to me, and I'll help you if I can."

"I...I don't know how, but I forgot to pack something to sleep in. Seth and Leah are sleeping now. Would you mind watching over them so I can head over and pick something up?"

I shake my head at her. "No Bella; you can wear something of mine. I'm not letting you go there at this time of night by yourself, and the kids are sleeping. I would gladly watch them anytime, they're great children, but you're not going anywhere this late by yourself."

She looks at me, biting her lip; I put my thumb on it and gently nudge it from her teeth. "Edward, you don't wear pajamas, so I can't borrow something from you that you don't have." I look at her, shocked that she knows that about me. "I have worked for you for what, three months now? I have never washed a set of pajamas for you, but I have seen your underwear. That leads me to believe that you don't have any."

I chuckle at her. "I do have some, I just don't wear them. Come on; let's get you something to wear, Baby." I pick her up as I stand, and set her on the floor. Taking her hand, I escort her to my room. "Well this should do, but it's going to be a wee bit big on you. Why don't you get changed in my bathroom?" I sigh, rubbing my face for a second before flopping back on my bed. I close my eyes, taking deep breaths. Thank God she forgot her night clothes. Every time I have seen her in those nighties she wears, I am fucking rock hard. I sure hope having her wear something of mine that is big and baggy will help conquer these raging feelings I'm having. I mean, something manly has got to be better than those lacy frocks she's been wearing, right? I hear the door open, and when I turn, the first thing I see are Bella's fucking legs. Oh my God, has she got some sexy legs! As my eyes travel up her legs, I finally see the bottom hem of my purple UW T-shirt. I slowly move my eyes up the shirt, and take in the large, gold UW that sits below the Husky mascot that is lying across her beautiful tits. Fuck, she looks sexy! I mean, really fucking sexy...standing in my room with my t-shirt on. Fuck, I'm really fucking hard now; I think I'm harder now, than I was when she was in the fucking sexy nighties full of lace. As the memories and visions of her in my head flash by, I become even harder, and I force the thoughts out of my head so I can look at her.

"What would you like to do, Baby? Would you like to watch a movie?" She looks at me and smiles, nodding her head. As she moves, her hair falls over her shoulder, reminding me just how long it is. Most of the time I see it when it is up, and I often wonder if she has ever had a real haircut. I jump up, take her hand, and walk her back downstairs.

The first thing I decide we should do is make a list of the things that are missing from Bella's apartment. I know there really isn't much for the list, but it has to be done. I take out a note pad and pen, and sit beside her on the sofa.

"Okay, Baby, I'm going to write this all down. Aro needs to have a written list for the insurance company." I pretty much know there is no such thing as this insurance Aro talked about, but she will never know that.

"Okay," Bella says, looking slightly worried.

"Baby, it's okay. I'll start the list, just answer my questions, okay?" I watch her as she continues to bite her lip, but I see her nod. "Okay, let's do this room by room," I say, starting to write. "Television, DVD Player, TV stand, bookcase, sofa, and how many movies did you have?"

"Seth and Leah each had twelve, and then another fifteen that we all picked out together, plus the ones you got for us...so there were forty-eight altogether."

"Am I missing anything else from the living room, Baby?"

"No, but...you wrote down the couch. The couch is still there."

"Yes Baby, but whomever it was that did this, damaged the couch. The cushions were cut and the fabric was destroyed." She nods her head, and I can see the worry in her eyes.

"Okay, how about we list the stuff from the bathroom next? It looked like all the stuff from the medicine cabinet was in the sink, but there was broken glass all over everything. I saw all your toothbrushes and things in there, so I am just going to write down full bathroom toiletries. The shower curtain was ripped down, and the mirror was cracked. Can you think of anything else in there?" She shakes her head, and is still working her bottom lip between her teeth. "Okay, I know this room will be hard to talk about, but let's just get it done and out of the way. In the kitchen, I saw the box with a bunch of broken dishes in it. Were all the dishes broken?"

"Yes, except for the plastic cups that Seth and Leah drink out of. They were on the floor, but not broken."

"Okay, so dishes, cups, one of the chairs, and the blender was broken, right?"

"Yes, not the bottom, but the top where I put the milkshake was glass and it was broken. All of the banks are broken, and the money is gone. All of our food is gone, and they even took the tea Zafrina gave me for when you visit."

"Baby, it's okay. We will get this all taken care of. I promise it'll be okay. Do you trust me?" She nods, and I see her wrap her arms around her middle. "Come here, Baby, let me hug you. Hugs always make me feel better," I tell her as she instantly hugs me. After a few minutes of just hugging her close, I pat her back. "Okay Baby, we need to finish this," I tell her. "How much money was in the banks?"

"There was four hundred and sixteen dollars in the rent bank, because I only needed to put in thirty-four more to pay rent on December first. There was eighty-three in the electric bank, and I have to pay that on Monday. There was forty-six in the gas bank, which I also pay on the first. There was thirty-two dollars in the food bank, because we just did that big shopping trip. There was one hundred and six dollars in both Seth's and Leah's banks. The savings bank had sixty dollars for their field trip and camping trip with the church this weekend, forty I put away for their haircuts tomorrow, and my bus money for next week for work, which was twenty. My Christmas money was in there, too. I had eighty-seven dollars saved up. I was planning to get them a game thing for the TV like their friends have. So there is a total of nine hundred and ninety-six dollars, all gone..." she gasps out.

"It's okay, Baby. Aro says your insurance covers this and everything will be replaced. Okay, I'm writing down another eighty dollars for the eight broken banks. Is that everything from the kitchen?" I look at her and she looks really upset and worried. "Bella...Baby, what is it?" I ask, and because she looks so terrified right now, I am almost in tears.

"I...something that I was borrowing was taken, too. I don't think I can find another one. The man at the pawn shop laughed at me and said they were obsolete now. I'm sorry, I really am. I should have taken it with me, but I only listen to the books when I'm working. I didn't mean for it to get taken. I hope that you can forgive me, and I promise to help you find another one . . ."

The light clicked on for me and I place my finger over her mouth to stop her. "Baby, is that what has you so upset?" She nods with my fingers still covering her lips. "You think I would be mad at you because my old tape player was taken? Oh, you lovable and silly girl. I'm just glad you and the kids weren't there or hurt. Everything can be replaced or upgraded, but you, Seth, and Leah, are what's most important."

We finish the list, but I decide not mention the damage done in the bitch's room. I decide to write a note to Aro in cursive, about the damage in that room. It might appear to some that not a lot was taken, but I'm still pissed, because it was all they had in this world.

We put in a movie, and like always, Bella falls asleep on my chest. Normally, I carry her to her box, but tonight I am carrying her up my steps. At the top of the stairs, I almost decide to take her to my room, but I don't. I really want to, but the fear of scaring her, stops me. Ruling that out, I take her to my spare room, tuck her in, and stroke her cheek before leaving the room. I check on Seth and Leah before heading to my room for bed.

**~*HCV*~**

I wake this morning hearing chatter coming from downstairs. It takes me a few minutes to remember that Bella and the kids are here. Thank fuck I remembered before leaving my room naked to see who it was!

I get dressed for the day and head downstairs. I walk to the source of the noise, and knock on the door. "Come in," three voices call out.

I chuckle as I walk in. "Good morning, all."

Three sets of eyes look at me and I see smiles. "Good morning, Edward," they all manage to say together again.

I shake my head and chuckle. "How about we all get dressed and head out to do a few things? I want to take you to breakfast, and then we need get to the hairdresser's."

Bella looks at me somewhat puzzled, and starts to say something, but I cut her off. "Seth, Leah, you two go get washed up, dressed, and ready to go. I need to speak with Bella for a moment," I say as I walk over to the bed where she is sitting. Rather than help her up, I pick her up and place her over my shoulder. As I head for the door to leave the room, I hear Seth and Leah laughing behind me. I walk back to the room she was sleeping in, and deposit her on the bed. "Did you want a shower first, or do you want to just wash up a little?" When she doesn't answer, I just start going through her clothes. "I see you remembered all of your clothes, which I'm glad to see, because I don't have any bras here." I place her clothing next to her, but she's still looking at me like I've lost my mind. "Baby, you need to get washed up and dressed. We'll be leaving soon." I glance back at her and she is still just sitting there. "Baby Bella, as much as I would love to dress you myself, it would be best for you to do that."

Her mouth opens then closes again, and she shakes her head. "Edward, they took our money. I can't afford to take them to get haircuts today. I was going to try and sell some more pictures at the park today, and maybe do it next week if I can."

I hold my hand up at her. "No, Bella. I told you yesterday that I was replacing the things that are gone, and that includes the money. I will pay for the haircuts, and we will do some shopping today as well. Don't worry about it, it will be covered."

She bites her lip, and I worry that she will make it bleed this time. "Look, Edward, I don't want you to feel like you need to spend your hard-earned money on us. You give us so much already; but we do need food, and they really want their haircuts for the camping trip. I get paid Friday, so I'll have the money for their trip and haircuts then. If you could pay for them today, I'll pay you back on Friday. They'll be gone from ten o'clock Friday morning until Sunday afternoon at four. I could even work at Midnight Sun to return the favor. I feel selfish, because I'm really not looking forward to them going to camp. I've never been away from them for more than a few hours, and I have never spent a night without them since they came home from the hospital. The last time I was by myself, was when mom was in the hospital having them. Before they came along, I was used to being alone, but not so much anymore. I will be happy to work, because I don't want be by myself. I hate it! I hate feeling alone, so instead I will work, and you don't need to worry about the pay or anything."

When I look up at Bella, I see that she is now looking at the floor. Her face is red, and she looks like she is ashamed of herself. I move over to her, and clasp her face between my hands, making her look at me. "You are not working at Midnight Sun next weekend." She closes her eyes and almost looks like she's in pain, so I quickly continue on. "You will not be alone, though, because you will be spending the weekend here with me." Her eyes open, looking right into mine with uncertainty. "Baby, you're my friend. I care for you, and I'm doing these things for that very reason. If...no, when I was hurt you helped me." I chuckle, remembering the muffin and the five dollars that I never returned. "The night of my panic attack, you helped me. The next day, you walked the eight miles and handed me five dollars so I could get home. I didn't even repay you after I said that I would." She goes to speak, but like last night, I place my fingers over her mouth. "You also gave me a muffin, when you yourself most likely hadn't eaten much of anything, if anything at all that day. Then a week goes by, and I start being an ass to you. For more than a month, I was rude, nasty, and terrible to you. Then at work, I had a second panic attack after once again being downright brutally mean to you, but you still helped me, no questions asked. Baby that is the kind of stuff I'm trying to do for you. That five dollars and muffin that you gave me, outshines anything that I give you, Seth, or Leah. You are light-years ahead of me when it comes to kindness, and I'll always be in your debt." I sigh and kiss her on her head; I want so badly to hold her in my arms. "I will try my best to never let you be alone again. You'll always have me, no matter what." I feel Bella's hand on my side and I let my hand drop from her face. As my hand drops, she steps closer to me and puts her arms around me. I copy her movements, and stand here holding her. "Baby, I'll be right here for you, always." I hold her closer, feeling so much of the truth in my words to her. It is almost shocking to me to feel this way, but I want nothing more than to be here for her. It's clear that she was left by herself quite frequently growing up, but that won't happen again, not if I have _my_ way.

A knock on the door brings me out of my thoughts. I let Bella go, and turn to see that Seth and Leah are washed, dressed, and ready to go.

"I need five minutes; can you wait in the room for me?"

I move further away from her and smile at the children. "You two can wait for us in the living room. You can put on some cartoons; we'll be down in a few minutes." They nod their heads and leave.

"I'll let you get dressed and ready to go." I kiss her forehead once more and leave, closing the door behind me.

**~*HCV*~**

We all have breakfast at the little diner close to my house, and then head to the hairdresser's. I look at Bella, and wonder why she doesn't ever get her hair done. "Baby, how come you don't get your hair cut and styled?"

"It is always so expensive, so I just have Zafrina cut it straight across the bottom about every six months or so. Besides, I've never had anyone cut my hair like this," she says waving her hand around.

I feel myself getting upset at the fact that she isn't nor has she ever gotten her hair done. Her hair is so long, it must cause her problems. I mean, it is so long when it is down, that she ends up sitting on it. Fuck it; she is getting her hair done, too! I bend over to her, speaking in her ear. "I need to use the restroom; I'll be right back, Baby." As I head to the back of the salon, I see the owner. "Hey, how would you like to make a hundred dollars?"

She looks at me, quirking her brow. "By doing what?"

"You see the girl I'm with?"

She smiles a warm smile in Bella's direction, and suddenly I like this lady much more. "Yes, of course, Isabella, I really love that girl. She is always so sweet. I would love to get my hands on her hair."

I chuckle, realizing this is going to be easier than I first thought. "Well, that's what I want. If you can make it sound like she's doing you a favor or helping someone out, especially a child, she'll do it without question."

She smiles at me. "I know just the thing! I don't know why I never thought of it before." She pats my arm and walks out to the front. I wait for a minute or two before heading back out. I see the woman speaking with another staff member, and pointing at Bella every so often. I walk over to Bella, take her hand and kiss it. I hear a loud, almost exaggerated sigh, and the woman comes over.

"Hello, Isabella dear. I was talking to my colleague Mia, and she was a bit scared to come and ask you, so I said that I would do it. You see, her husband makes wigs for people with cancer. He really relies on the kindness of people to donate their hair, but he needs at least ten inches to start with. I thought I would ask you, because I could cut off fifteen inches of your hair and it would still be very long and beautiful. If you agree, your hair would still hang down to your bra strap, but you wouldn't end up sitting on it anymore. I'll even style it for you, free of charge. Would that be something you would be willing to do for us? I hate to ask, but he has this young girl who is only thirteen and she has cancer. All her hair is gone now, but it used to look exactly like yours - the same color and everything - until it all fell out. That is what made Mia think of asking you today."

Bella bites her lip, looking so crestfallen. "Would fifteen inches be enough to help her?"

The woman smiles at Bella. "Yes, Dear. Your hair is very thick; it would be plenty."

Bella nods her head and the woman takes her to a chair. "Of course I will help that little girl."

I watch as she braids Bella's hair with skilled fingers. "I'll cut off the fifteen inches first, then wash your hair and style it all up, nice and pretty for you." The woman sets about doing her work, and bags the hair after cutting and measuring it. The very long, thick braid, is just over fifteen inches in length. She shows it to Bella, and hugs her with one arm, thanking her. I heard the other lady on the phone with her husband, asking him to come and collect it. I wait...well Seth and I wait, for Bella and Leah to be finished.

The woman seems to be really working with Bella's hair. It takes a little time, and when she is done, all I can do is stare at Bella. Fuck! With Alice's discarded clothes and the new haircut, I am speechless! Her hair looks wonderful. It is long, but above her lower back and the lady layered it to give it what she called some shape and style. With this new haircut and the clothes, she looks much younger; younger than twenty-four. But, so fucking beautiful! I shake my head, trying to clear it.

"Baby, you look amazing! Really amazingly beautiful," I say, making her blush.

We head to IKEA, and after looking around, I convince Bella to let me buy the twenty-four inch plasma screen TV, complete with stand. They also throw in a DVD player for half price. Then I replace Seth and Leah's stolen allowance money. Actually, I give them each one hundred and twenty dollars. Leah buys a book about stars and planets; she loves looking at and reading about the stars. She says she wants to become an astronomer when she is older. She also mentions that she wants to study linguistics, and asks me how many languages she needs to learn to become a linguist. I chuckle, shrugging my shoulders at her, because I really don't know the answer to that. In turn, she rolls her eyes at me. She also buys the shoes she wants, and some more books on languages.

Seth was a lot quicker; he got the CD player he was after. He also chose a range of music CD's. He did ask me for my help on this, because he was unsure of what to get. He says that he loves all the music that was on the radio at home. In the end, we pick Debussy, Yiruma, and a few of the new bands as well...he seemed listening to these artists earlier in my car, so I am certain he will enjoy hearing more of their work. I make myself a mental note to burn Seth some CD's of my favorite songs. I want him to have knowledge of all kinds of music. I have a feeling he will like whatever I come up with.

Next, I take Bella and pick out a new love seat and couch set. The couch has a hide-a-bed. I told her it was a good buy, and since it turned into a bed, she would have a place for me if I ever fell asleep at her place. We pick out new piggy banks, and with Bella's help, I place the missing money back in each bank. I try to talk her into setting up a bank account so the money won't be in their home, but she stares, shaking and becoming scared, so I dismiss the idea altogether.

Right now, we are grocery shopping. I plan on buying them a pantry full of food. As I throw things in the cart, Bella gives me funny looks. At one point, she looks at me like she is going to scold me, and I stick out my tongue and keep shopping.

"Stop trying to kill my buzz, woman! I love food shopping, so suck it up." Seth and Leah laugh as I pull Bella toward me and the defective shopping cart. I kiss her head, which I tend to do a lot these days.

She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm telling Carlisle that you're the one buying all of this sweet stuff, and then when all their teeth fall out, I'm going to have Zafrina give the tooth fairy your number." I let out a chuckle, and put some more potato chips in the cart. Once the cart is full, we head to the checkout to find the same bitch as the last time. She looks at me, smiling and batting her eyes.

"Edward, what's wrong with her eyes? Maybe you should call the doctor," Seth says in a somewhat loud voice. The bitch turns and sneers at him.

"No, Seth. She thinks she looks good when she does that."

Seth raises his eyebrows at me. "Really?" I nod my head as the bitch bites her lip, looking up at me from under her eyelashes. "Do you think she looks good doing that?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "No. I think she looks a bit..." I stop and make a crazy face. Both Seth and Leah laugh, but Bella doesn't look my way.

"That'll be two hundred eighty-five dollars and thirty-one cents." I look at her before handing over three hundred dollars.

She hands me my change along with her phone number. I put my change away, and hand her back her number. "I'm clearly here with someone, who could, for all you know, be my wife and children, or my girlfriend. You have the audacity to not only flirt with me in front of young, impressionable children, but also hand me your phone number? You are a repulsive piece of trash, and I would not give you two seconds of my day if you were the last female on the planet. Not in any lifetime would I want your number, or call you if it was the only phone number I knew! Don't bother EVER doing anything like this again. I don't deal with skanks."

I drive them back to the apartment, noticing that Bella has been abnormally quiet. She has not said a word since the grocery store.

I help put everything away, but Bella has not looked my way once. I'm afraid that I have hurt her in some way. I walk to the kitchen, finding her cleaning again. "Bella, is everything okay?" She looks at me and nods her head a little. "Please, Bella, if I did something to upset you, tell me so I know how to fix it. Please don't be afraid to call me out on my bullshit."

She looks up at me and sighs. "I just didn't like what you said to Seth about that girl being crazy. You know at the store, when she did that thing with her eyes. I do think it looked a bit weird, but I don't want him talking bad about someone, even if he feels that they deserve it."

I rub my face and move over to her, trapping her between me and the counter. "I am very sorry...again. I really didn't mean to upset you, but she did look kind of crazy. I shouldn't have spoken about her in that way to Seth, or in front of her." I pout, sticking out my bottom lip a tad bit and tilting my head. "Will you please forgive me?"

Bella shakes her head, laughing. "I'm sorry, too. I'm not even sure why it upset me."

I pick her up, placing her on the counter before standing between her legs to look her in the eye. "You got upset because you are a kind-hearted, beautiful person who cares about others." She blushes and tries to look down, but I clasp her chin, keeping eye contact with her. "I am really sorry about what I said, but never be afraid to call me or anyone else out on their bullshit, Bella. I will always have your back, and respect your thoughts and feelings." She smiles and clasps her hand over mine. I feel those sparks all over me, both inside and out. I let my hand drop and step away from her. "Come on, I want to ask you something."

"Seth, Leah, can you come in here and sit for a minute?" I ask. They both come over and jump up next to Bella. "Carlisle and Esme have asked me to invite you over for Thanksgiving dinner. The more I think about it, the more I want to spend Thanksgiving with you guys. So I was thinking that if you didn't want to go over there, then maybe you could come to my place and we can spend it there?" Seth and Leah look pleased, but Bella looks worried. I take her hand in mine. "Emmett and Jasper will be there too, and so will their wives."

Bella looks down at that. "Edward, I don't think Jasper's wife likes me very much. They're your family, and I don't want to take you away from them. We'll be ok here; you should spend the holiday with them."

I shake my head at her. "I really don't want to. I was only going for the guys, but having you by my side will make it so much better. Esme is a brilliant cook; she always makes a great family Thanksgiving dinner. She would really like you all to be there, and so would I. As for the witches, I will protect you all from them. You all mean so much more to me than they do." Bella looks at Seth and Leah, who both nod their heads.

"Thank you, Edward. We would like to go with you." I smile before grabbing her hand and pulling her up. I give her a big hug, and kiss the top of her head. After releasing Bella, I lean down and kiss Leah on the head, too. Leah and Bella both giggle loudly when I kiss Seth's head.

"Oh, God! Don't you start with the kissing, too! Do me a favor and kiss Bella instead." I mess his hair up and give him a smile.

Oh I plan on doing that and so much more...Fuck! Shut the fuck up, you sex-maniac prick! She is only your friend.

"I better get going now; I'll see you on Monday." They wave as I walk out the door.

I head straight to Carlisle's. I know that everyone will be there, and I want to make sure they all treat Bella, Seth, and Leah with the utmost respect.

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><p><strong>AN: Well how many of you figured out that Bella's apartment would be broken into? Were you expecting the damage? Any thoughts on who may have broken into the apartment? Do you think it was personal, or random? What are your thoughts on her selfless gift of hair for a child with cancer? How about how close Edward is becoming with not only Bella, but the twins? Next Chapters title is: Trash Talkin' Turkey Day...any thoughts?**

**Remember all reviews will be replied to and a teaser sent for the next chapter. Please be sure to have your account logged in, so we can reply and be sure you're able to get personal messages. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. XOXO, Kasi & Nikky.**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: As always the Characters and lines included from the twilight series are the sole ownership of Stephenie Meyer, the story line, plot and actions of the characters with in this story are the sole ownership of WeeKittyAndTAT.

We want to give a HUGE shout out to all our wonderful ladies who help make HCV what it is. Thanks: Jess, Sally, Sarah, Jessie, Julie, Mel, and Christine. Thanks to our twilighted validation Beta Content1. You are a fine bunch of ladies to work with.

All mistakes are our own.  
>Be Sure to read below some new info...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Trash Talking Turkey Day<strong>

It's Thanksgiving Day, and I'm on my way to pick up Bella and the kids. We decided that after dinner with my family, they would stay with me at my house tonight. I'll run them home to get their things for the camping trip in the morning, and see them off to camp. Bella will make sure that Jake has enough food, and then she's coming to spend the weekend with me. I'm looking forward to this weekend, but I'm worried about my growing feelings for her. I knock on the door before using the spare key Bella gave me to let myself in. The new door has a double lock on it, and is reinforced with steel; no one is breaking this one down.

I walk in and notice that Leah is wearing a black, knee-length dress with a cream ribbon around the waist, and black shoes. Seth is wearing a pair of black pants and a cream colored button down shirt, with a black tie and shoes.

"Wow, look at you Leah! You're very beautiful, and Seth, you look so handsome." They both smile at me and look up as Bella walks in. She is in a cream colored dress, with a black ribbon around the waist. The dress goes to just above her knees; she looks beautiful in it, so fucking beautiful!

"Wow, Bella! You look sensational...really beautiful. Are we all ready to go?" I look her up and down, I'm so glad she allowed me to buy us all new outfits for today.

I got around her apprehension by telling her that I wanted to go to church with them this Sunday night. We are attending the evening service after Seth and Leah return from camp. Since I was buying something for myself, I wanted to get them something as well. As usual, getting Bella to let me buy Seth and Leah something was easy, but her, not so much. I was so fucking glad Seth and Leah helped me. I have on black pants and black shirt with a cream colored tie. I push my guilty feelings down and smile at the three of them.

"Yes, we're all ready." Bella picks up their bags, and I quickly take them from her.

"Let's go," I say as I usher us all out of the door together.

The journey is quicker now that Bella is more comfortable with me driving. We pull into the driveway, and I notice that we are the last to arrive. I sigh, getting out the car. I'm slightly apprehensive about today. I look over at Bella, who is biting her lip, almost to the point of drawing blood. I stop, and turn to her.

"Baby, I will have your back in there, I promise. You are more important to me than any of them." I rub my thumb over her lip and she slowly releases her teeth.

"They're your family, and I don't want to cause any upset."

I chuckle. "Baby, don't worry about Alice and Rose. I'm sure that they will find someone to insult instead of you. They are more of the 'two-faced backstabber' type, than ones are rude to someone's face." Bella smiles at me and I give her a wink. "Let's go have some great turkey, and try to avoid the yucky, green stuff." I stick my tongue out as do Seth and Leah, causing Bella to chuckle. I ring the bell before opening the door and ushering them inside.

"Oh, so you just walk in now? I thought you had to have someone come and open the door for you." Of course there stands Rose, being her normal, bitchy self.

"Rose," I say in a cheerful greeting, hoping this will stop her bad behavior. I air kiss her cheek. "This is my Bella, and her younger brother Seth, and sister Leah."

Rose turns and looks at me, and then to them. "Hmm, I am Rosalie," she says snidely. "Only my friends and family can call me Rose," she huffs.

"Hey, they're here!" I hear Emmett shout out from the hall. "Yes, my Little Bit is finally here. So, this must be Seth and Leah. Hi guys, I'm Emmett, but you can call me Emmie. I am playing _Guitar Hero _in the other room. You guys wanna come play too?" Both Seth and Leah nod their heads, but stop to look at Bella for permission. Bella looks to me and I smile before we both nod at the kids. I hear them already laughing at Emmie as they follow him into the game room.

I place my hand on Bella's back and lean into her. "Just breathe, Bella. You're doing fine." I lead her into the living room.

"Wow, Little One! You look very beautiful," Carlisle says as he comes over to us, shakes my hand, and gives Bella a wink. I glance up and look over his shoulder, watching both Rose and Alice rolling their eyes at his comment. They're nothing but witches, and are so fucking jealous. I turn my attention to Bella, who is looking at the floor with a blush covering her face. She gives Carlisle a shy thank you, which is practically a whisper, and his smile immediately widens as he hears her soft-spoken gratitude.

"Bella, this is Jasper's wife, Alice. Alice, this is my Bella." Alice holds out her hand for Bella to shake, and when Bella barely grasps her hand, Alice frowns at her.

"Hello, Little Lady, you look very pretty today. Would you like something to drink? Esme is just getting some drinks together," Jasper says, coming in and handing Alice, Rose, and Carlisle each a drink.

She looks at me, looking so unsure of herself. I lean into her "Do want to try the wine? If not, there is juice or water." She whispers to me that she would like water, and I kiss her head. "We can leave anytime you want, okay? Just tell me." She gives me a nod. "Thank you, Jasper. Could you please get us both a glass of water? And I'm sure Seth and Leah would enjoy some of some of Esme's orange juice." He nods his head at me and gives Bella a wink, but before he leaves, I notice that he and Alice share a silent exchange, which at the end of, Alice once again looks ashamed.

"Bella, that game is so cool!" Seth says as he walks in with Leah nodding behind him.

"Little Bit, has he ever played that game before?" Emmett asks as he joins us.

Bella shakes her head. "No, he doesn't have many games at home, so I'm fairly certain he hasn't."

Emmett nods his head. "Wow, Seth! You just remember I'm a lawyer, so when you go and break into the music business, you remember me, alright kid?" Seth nods his head, and I look at Emmett questioningly. "He just passed that level I have been on for a month. He didn't have any trouble with it, once I showed him what to do."

I chuckle, nodding my head. "Seth is very musically gifted. You should hear him play the piano. He blew me away." I hear Rose mutter something to Alice, but I can't make out what she said. I know by the look on both their faces, though, it was not something nice, nor would it be worth repeating.

"Well, we'll have him play for us then," Esme says, coming in with a tray of drinks. Jasper is following close behind her, and he stops to hand us our glasses of water.

"Esme, you have a piano, too?" Seth bursts out before stopping himself. "I'm sorry, Esme; you look really pretty today. Thank you for inviting me and my sisters over. I love pianos. I'm going to start saving up all my money, so that I can buy one someday. Bella said it will take me a long time, because I only get five dollars a week. If I put that away every week, she said it would take me about fifty-five years. I know that sounds like forever, but Bella said that she will help. I don't mind her help, but she works too much now as it is. I would rather see her on the weekends, than get my piano early."

Esme looks at him, chuckling a little, but she seems almost upset. "Well, come on Seth, and I'll show you our piano. You can play it whenever you would like while you're here."

Taking Bella's hand, I go to follow, when I hear Rose muttering something about a gold-digger. "Bella baby, I'll be right there, just follow Esme, okay?" Bella nods at me before looking at Rose and lowering her eyes. Great! I knew I'd heard her, but I was hoping Bella hadn't.

"What the fuck is your problem? Can't you just put your broom away for a few fucking hours and act like you have a fucking beating heart?"

She turns toward me, facing me fully. With a huff, she raises her eyebrows at me. "Edward, open your eyes! She's pulling the same fucking act that Tanya did. How long until she gets you into bed and then goes 'Oh no, I'm pregnant!'? How long before WE have to go through the same shit as last time? I'll not fucking do it again; not for you! I won't let someone take me for a ride. If you want to go on one again, then go ahead! I'll be right here when she fucks you over, to tell you that I was right, like ALWAYS." Rose looks at me before her eyes go wide as she looks behind me.

I turn, seeing a very pissed off Emmett. "Edward, I need a word with my wife. Why don't you join the others?" I nod my head at him, walking out of the room.

As I get near the music room, I hear the piano. Fuck, he is really fucking good; my dad would've loved him. I wonder if my son would've been able to play. Shaking the thought from my head and walking up to Bella, I kiss her on the head. "Sorry about that."

She smiles a little at me. "Are you okay? I'm sorry...!"

I place my fingers over her lips. "Don't you dare! You haven't done anything wrong, Baby. It's her, but she's not going to fuck with them or you anymore. She's no better than you, Seth, or Leah, and she's just mad because she is not the center of attention." She whispers a thank you and places a kiss on my hand before she turns back to watch Seth. I feel eyes on me and glance over to see that Alice is looking at me as Jasper whispers something in her ear.

As Seth finishes playing the song, we all clap and Leah gives him a little hug. "Oh, I like that one. It's really nice - almost like a lullaby." Seth nods his head in agreement with Leah.

"Seth, you are a very talented young man. How many lessons have you had?" Esme asks, hugging him as he blushes.

He tilts his head and smirks. "Well thank you, Ma'am, but I haven't had any lessons...ever."

"Oh my word! You are a natural-born talent, that's what you are. I think maybe you should work a little with Edward if he has the time. Edward reads music quite well, and I dare say he is smart enough to teach you all the in's and out's of the piano." Esme gives him a kiss on the head and his face gets even redder.

"Edward, can you teach me more about music and the piano?" Seth asks with a bright smile on his face.

"Seth, Little Man, I would be happy to try to teach you. But, you're going to have to have some patience with me. I've never tried to teach anyone piano before."

Seth comes over, takes my left hand, and smiles up at me. "I think it'll be a lot of fun." I look at Bella, who is still holding my right hand, and I notice her other hand is being held by Leah.

I hear Bella chuckling. "I think I need to stop letting him listen to those old books. He picks up all the charming lines in them."

I chuckle along with her, and hear a snarky huff from across the room. "Well, I think we should head to the table, now," Carlisle says. I notice Emmett giving another heated glare to a very upset looking Rose. I turn back to see Seth bow before offering his arm to both Esme and Leah.

"He is showing us old dog's how it's done," I say, turning to Bella, giving her a smirk and a bow before offering her my arm. "My lady," I say, as Bella blushes and laughs a little.

"Thank you, Kind Sir," she says, as she curtsies and takes my arm, laughing as we head to the table. When we enter the dining room, I see Seth pull Esme's chair out for her, and then does the same for Leah.

"Well, at least someone knows how to behave correctly. Thank you, Seth."

Carlisle looks at his wife, and then to Seth, and shakes his head. "Looks like I'm going to be replaced soon." I chuckle and pull out Bella's chair, and then help her to sit before I take the seat between her and Leah. Once I have taken my seat, I take her hand under the table and begin rubbing it. I tell myself it's to help keep her calm, but the truth is, I'm the one needing her touch.

"Bella, why don't you tell us about yourself?" Alice says questioningly. Her tone is soft and nice, but it's too fucking nice if you ask me.

Bella looks to me and then to Alice. "There really is nothing to tell. I work for Edward and at the college. I have a brother and sister that I take care of. That is about it."

Alice shakes her head. "Come on, there must be more to you than that. What college did you go to?"

Bella bites her lip. "I didn't go to college. I have been working for the past six years now."

Alice smiles at her and Rose rolls her eyes. "Where are your mom and dad? I mean, why aren't they here? They should be the ones here looking after those...two," Rose sneers with a wave of her hand in the direction of the children.

Bella's face drops, as do Seth and Leah's. "Rose, you stop it right now!" Rose looks at Esme and rolls her eyes.

"God, I just meant that if they were here looking after their kids like they're supposed to, then she could try to go to college, okay? I'm sure she would find it hard for obvious reasons, but to be stuck in a dead end job that takes her nowhere, is even more arduous." She turns to direct her rant at me, giving me a smirk. "You can explain the meaning of that word to her later between the sheets." Turning back to everyone else, she continues her rant. "If she had gone to college, she may have had a chance at a slightly better job."

I growl at Rose.

"Rose, you better watch what you're saying, young lady," Carlisle says.

Rose rolls her eyes and leans over to Alice. "Don't sweat it short stuff; it doesn't look like she'll be around for long. This time next month, the charity work will be over; thank God for that." Alice quickly looks at Rose in shock and turns away from her.

"God, now I know who Rosalie reminds me of. Super Star Barbie," Seth says in a loud, but not too loud, voice and Leah looks wide-eyed at him.

"Wow! You're right, Seth. Thank God you figured it out. I would've been wondering about it all along." I chuckle at Seth's clear insult to Rose, but fuck, I am proud of him for standing up to her in this way. Rose, on the other hand, is not impressed, and she goes to say something but doesn't get the chance; Emmett leans in, speaking softly in her ear. She huffs and glares at Seth.

"Oh, God! These shoes are killing my feet," Alice says and Jasper chuckles.

"Alice, I warned you before we left the house, and you still came out with them. Go take them off. We will just pretend not to smell your feet."

Alice growls at him and hits him. "My feet don't smell," she says, starting to lean down to take off her shoes.

"God, go take them off in the living room, Alice! I'm trying to eat, and the smell of your feet isn't appealing to me or any of the rest of us," Emmett says. Emmett bursts out laughing, making Leah and Seth laugh as Alice picks up the shoes and hits Emmett on the head before she takes them away. I hear Seth and Leah talking to each other. Their eyes go wide as Alice comes back in.

Alice notices them staring and she looks at them. "What, do I have something on me? Emmett, if you put another note on my back, so help me God!" Emmett holds up his hands and shakes his head.

"I can't believe there is someone smaller than you, Bella," Leah gasps out.

"Bella, you should stand next to Alice. She would make you feel tall. Like we do when we stand next to you," Seth says as he keeps his eyes on Alice. I hear laughing coming from the table and Bella rolls her eyes at them.

"Are you a pixie? Because Seth thinks you are, but I think you're a fairy like Tinkerbelle."

Seth nods his head. "Alice, you're a pixie; you have to be. You're very pretty, and all pixies and fairies have to be small and pretty." Alice looks between them and blushes.

"I don't think you have smelly feet either. I think Emmie and Jazz were mean to say that to you," Leah says as she looks between Emmett and Jasper.

Alice smiles at them. "That was very kind of you both." I chuckle darkly. It's sad that the kids have to pay her a compliment before she is nice to them. Finally, everyone starts to eat, and thankfully that means there is not a lot of talking going on.

**~HCV~**

Dinner is over and we are hanging out in the living room. Rose and Alice are back to stirring the caldron. Clearly, Alice has decided that she must follow Rose's lead, so the friendliness she had adapted is back to the snarky-ness she was dishing out before. Bella has excused herself to go to the restroom, and I am sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. As I watch her come back in, I know right away that she is upset. She sits on the opposite end of the couch from me, and I see Jasper frown. I move closer to her. "Baby, what's wrong?" She shakes her head. "Baby, did Rose say something to you? Did Alice?" She shakes her head again, and I notice Emmett leave the room. "Please, Baby?"

She bites her lip. "Really, it was nothing; they didn't say anything to me. They were talking to each other when I passed the room. I didn't mean to hear what they said. I wasn't trying to listen, I promise. It's just that Rosalie said something I didn't like, but it's okay."

I shake my head at her. "What did she say about you?"

Bella looks down. "It was not me she was talking about. I heard her talking about...she was talking about you. I didn't like the way she spoke about you."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "I'm sorry baby," I say, kissing her head.

"For fuck sake! Why is everyone all over her ass? She is a gold-digging whore that is using him for his money. Those kids are most likely her children, not her siblings. This whole stupid act is ridiculous, and quite frankly, extremely tiresome. You all ran after his ass for years, blah, blah, blah, he's grieving...Oh, who cares? Buck up asshole; you're nothing but a joke; grieving for a fucking bastard child you never met. It is fucking laughable, but now you've got some gold-digging slut to step in with a ready-made family. Yee-haw! Break out the fine china, Edward brought trailer trash and her welfare curtain-climbers for dinner. This is my home! Mine! I grew up here first. Then he came in here, acting like this was his home. Why the fuck couldn't he have stayed in a foster home? Then suddenly it's all about making him part of the family...whatever! And now? Now he brings his fucking two-bit whore here. You'll see, mark my words; he'll let her fuck us all over just like last time, like she was meant to be my friend. HA! Now _there__'s_ a joke. I refuse to like her, and when she hurts you all, I will laugh. But go ahead and be happy for him and all his glorious bullshit. This is just like that whore, Tanya, all over again. When she left, everyone of you bent over backwards to help him. He was so upset. Oh, poor Edward! Then she came back again with some rug rat, and he gets all 'I'm daddy, I want to see him,' and has everyone wiping his ass again. When they died, you were all over him again, letting him get away with everything because he was 'grieving'. In order to grieve, he would need to have a fucking heart. I need a damn shot of tequila to deal with this bullshit, but I can't drink. At least there is no doubt of the bloodline of my child. All I know is that if anything happens to my baby because he brought that trailer trash here, I swear I will cut off his dick."

Everyone just sits here looking at Rose. I feel the tightness start to form in my chest, so I jump up, scaring Bella in the process. I storm out of the house and into the garden. I'm trying to slow my breathing down, but I can't. I just want to go in there and knock her into next fucking week. Who does she think she is? Fuck! I can't believe what she fucking said. I walk down the garden path to the old oak tree. I hear her words repeating in my head, and the guilt about spending time with Seth and Leah hit me full force.

I am not trying to replace him; I'm not. They're good kids; I don't want to try to replace him. Edward, I swear, I'm not trying to replace you. Really, I'm not.

I start punching the tree, needing to release the anger. "Oh my God, Edward! Please stop! You are hurting yourself." I turn around to see Bella. Fuck, I'm still so fucking angry; she can't be here while I am so pissed off. She needs to go back inside. I close my eyes, trying to calm myself enough to ask her to go back inside. She bends down and puts something on the ground, then I feel the sparks on my arm. "Can I look at your hand, please?"

I pull away from her touch. I feel all the anger building up in me, and I know she needs to go now. "Bella, I want...I need you to leave right now. Please, just go." I feel her let go of my hand, but I can't bring myself to look at her at the moment. I have all night with her. As Bella walks away, I feel the tightness in my chest get worse. I start hitting the tree again, and I only stop when I no longer feel the rage. I slowly sink to the ground as the pain in my chest increases. I look beside me, and notice a glass of water and my medicine. Bella must have left them for me. I grab the tablet and let it melt in my mouth, and then try the calming techniques Peter showed me. It only takes about ten minutes before I get up and head back to the house. Fuck! I left Bella there to take care of herself.

As I get close to the house, I hear a raised voice. And of course, Rose is fucking there. "As for you little Miss Bella, you should be teaching your rug rats to respect their elders. I hope that you teach them something. God knows we don't need more of you in the world. Teach them something so they don't end up just like you - in a dead end job." I growl, heading in to confront the bitch.

"I am very sorry that you were upset with what Seth said." God damn it Bella, fuck! Don't apologize to her. "I will speak to him about insulting Barbie, because she's not as plastic or as fake as you!" My breath catches in my throat at her words. Fuck, she's sticking up for herself! As I turn to go into the living room, I hear a slapping sound. "You get that one for free, Miss Rosalie. God says there is niceness in all his children, and I do believe that there must be something good inside you. After all, you have Emmett, and he is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I hope God blesses you with a healthy child. I will keep you in my prayers at night." I hear Rose huff as I come into view. Bella has a red mark on her cheek; fucking Rose must have slapped her.

"I don't need your welfare, trashy-ass to pray for me," Rose spits.

Bella chuckles right in Rose's face. "I think you do. I think you need all the prayers you can get. I feel so sorry for you, because you are the ignorant one. You say that Edward doesn't have a heart, but I know that he does. Out of the maybe twenty people that I know, he has been the kindest to me and my family. I know you think that he wants in my panties, but I don't think that is why he does what he does for us. If that was all he really wanted, he could have paid me money to do that a long time ago. Just because you have ulterior motives behind the kindness you offer to others, doesn't mean everyone else does, too.

"He lost his son. Do you have any idea what he went through or still goes through? You have a little one on the way. How would you feel if you lost it? How would it make you feel if someone told you afterward, that you had no right to grieve? I mean, how could you grieve at this point? You haven't met the baby; it is just growing inside your stomach. According to your theory, you can only grieve a loss, if you have met the person face-to-face. So I pray that you have a healthy child, because God forsake, if something did happen, I would hope that someone could grieve the loss, since you're too cold hearted to care."

Rose lifts her hand to hit Bella again, but Bella catches her hand mid-air. "I told you the first one was free. I'm not going to stand here and let you hit me again, regardless of who you're married to, or who your family is. Besides, you're pregnant. Start acting like it! This behavior isn't good for your child. Try putting her or him first. Oh, and one last thing; those kids will be anything they want to be. If I have to sell everything that I own, I will. I will do anything to make their dreams come true, because they are good kids and will always try their best. You have no right to tell them otherwise." Rose looks at Bella with a sneer. "But like always, Edward and Jasper were right about you. You are a bitch!" Bella walks around her, heading towards Seth and Leah, who've been thankfully outside playing with Emmett and Jasper. I see Carlisle going after her.

"Get out of my house right now, Rose! I don't want to see or hear from you again. You need to leave and not come back until...fuck, just grow up Rose!" The room is completely silent as we take in the fact that Esme just swore. Jasper and Emmett come back in as Rose reaches out to Esme as she walks away from her.

"Jasper, can I camp at your place for the night?" Emmett asks.

"What? Emmett, what are you talking about? Why are you leaving?" Rose cries out.

"I warned you. Jazzy and I took the kids out to play, and I find out that you insulted and hurt Bella and Edward, both. I told you she was my friend; I have never spoken to any of your friends, male or female, like that. What you said, what you did...and then Edward. I can't even look at you, right now. It makes me feel sick. I will drive you home, but I'm leaving right after I pack myself a bag."

"This is your entire fault for bringing that slut here!" Rose shouts, looking right at me.

As I go to reply, Carlisle runs in panicking. "Edward, did you tell Bella to go home? She said that you asked her to leave. I tried to tell her you didn't mean for her to go home, but she thinks that you did, so she is walking with the kids. I couldn't even get them in my car." Fuck! Shit! No! I run past him, out of the house, and get in my car hoping to catch up to them. As I pull out of the drive way, I see them a little ways up the road. Fuck! They're going the wrong way. I speed up and pull up next to them.

"Get in the car," I shout as I jump out. Bella's eyes go wide. I go around the car and clasp her face in my hands. "Seth, Leah, it's cold out here. Please get in the car and get strapped in; we'll be there in a minute." I pull Bella's face toward me and kiss her head. I look at her still red cheek, before I kiss that, too. "That was fucking the best thing I've ever heard, Baby. I am so fucking proud of you! Thank you for what you said about me, and about him. I didn't mean for you to leave the house earlier. I only wanted you to go back inside because I was so angry. I didn't want you to see me like that. Yet again, you were taking care of my ass, when I should have been there to protect you from her. I'm so sorry that I failed you."

Bella covers my lips, stopping me from speaking, and takes my hands in hers, looking at them and frowning. "We need to take care of this when we get back to your house...that is, if you still want us to stay."

I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. "I really don't fucking deserve you. Of course I want you, all of you, to stay with me just like we planned." I want her to stay forever. I am so fucked!

I open her car door and help her in, and then drive us home. It feels so good to include the three them when I think of home. We get home, and Bella cleans up my hand before we watch a movie. We have a light supper out of the leftovers Carlisle dropped off for us, courtesy of Esme. After dinner, we play twister for a little while before Bella takes Seth and Leah to the bathroom for a bath. Bella is getting the kids off to bed a little early, since they have such a big day tomorrow. She told me she would be back down after she got ready for bed. I think back through the events of today, and know that I need to tell her about Tanya and Edward. It's going to be so fucking hard, because I've blocked them out of my mind for five fucking years. If I want her to open up to me more, though, I need to open up to her, too.

I make some tea and take it to the living room. I close my eyes, taking deep, calming breaths. I look at Bella as she comes in, and I give her a smile, patting the seat next to me. She walks over to me a sits down crossed legged, and facing me.

"I want tell you about Tanya and about my son, but first, I want to ask you about Rose, and you fighting back like you did. Where did that come from? I mean, I'm not mad, I'm extremely proud of you. I was on my way in to defend you, when I heard the things Rose was saying. Before I could open my mouth, though, you were all over it. You managed to render the rest of us speechless. I am glad that Leah and Seth were playing with Jasper and Emmett, and missed the horrible things she said. Your response to her actually stunned me into silence; I just don't understand why you don't stand up to others like that. So tell me, where did this bold Bella come from, and why didn't she stand up to Gina this way?"

She sighs, looking down toward the floor. "It's different."

I turn facing her. "Tell me how it is different."

"Gina is a work colleague. I have no choice but to let her say what she wants to me. I won't say it doesn't hurt me, because it does, but I see how Seth and Leah see me each day, and that overrules what she says to me. I can't lose my job. I need it, and my brother and sister must always come first, so if Gina has to make me feel stupid, then I will take it gladly. You told me that I could speak my mind today, so I did. What she said to you, and about you, was hurtful and spiteful. Then she talked about Leah and Seth, and she has no right to do that. They're just kids! I refuse to allow them to be hurt by her, or anyone. They need to know that they will achieve great things, and I'll see to that, even if it costs me my entire being. I don't want them to ever feel bad about themselves." I kiss her head, feeling so inspired by her. She has to be one of the strongest people I've ever met, and yet she is entirely selfless.

"You can stick up for yourself when it comes to Gina. If it costs you your job, then I will give you more hours at Midnight Sun. You know what, just pack in that job at the college now, and come work for me full time."

She looks at me, shaking her head. "I'll keep that in mind, but I like working at the college. Sometimes I look at the boards and see what people have learned, and pretend that I took a class. I even sat in one of the desks to see what it's like to look at the board. I sat at your desk once too, to see what you see. Of course, no one was in the classroom with me, so I didn't get the full picture."

I chuckle at her. "You know, I need to arrange a time for you at attend one of my classes. You can sit in the room all day and take part, if you like."

She leans forward and looks at me wide-eyed. "Really? You would let me sit in one of your classes?" I nod my head at her, and she leans in more and gives me a quick hug.

We drink our tea, and I feel a bit more relaxed. "Well, you know how school was for me. After high school, I went to UW. I went right away after graduation, and took a full load of courses during the summer. When I wasn't in classes, I was in the library, and that's when I met Tanya. She seemed like a shy, nice, sweet girl, and she would talk to me even when I was a stuttering mess." I stop take a drink and smile.

"It was just after I started my fall classes. I was leaving the library, and she was out there shaking and crying. She told me her ex, Sam, was there and had shouted at her. She said he wouldn't leave her alone, and that she was scared to walk home, so I offered to walk her; I wanted to keep her safe. When I walked her to her door, she gave me the biggest smile. The next day, she praised me on how I had saved her. At the end of the week, she handed me a note, asking me when I intended to ask her out." I chuckle a little.

"I was so fucking nervous when I asked her, but her smile touched my heart. I took her out, but didn't kiss her hand, or talk about the different books I was reading, I wasn't me, at all. I was so fucking happy when she wanted a second date, and then a third. Slowly, I put more of myself into our dates, and I was so happy that she still wanted to be with me. I told her I was still a virgin; she smiled and said that she was one, too. She told me her plans of keeping herself for the man she would spend her life with." I stop wondering if I am sharing too much, but decide to go on when I see no judgment in Bella's eyes.

"She met my family, and I thought that they all loved her. It was after the third meeting that I learned differently. Esme never made it clear that she didn't like Tanya, and I thought they got along well. However, one night I overheard her speaking with Carlisle about Tanya. She kept saying something wasn't right, that her eyes never matched what she was saying, or supposed to be feeling." I let out a sigh, knowing hindsight is twenty-twenty.

"I met Tanya's father, Eleazar, when I picked her up for our first date. He was a pastor, and he made it clear that he did not like me. He kept bringing up her ex, Sam, while I was there to pick her up. Apparently, Sam was his best friend's son, and they all wanted them to settle down together and get married. He wasn't happy that she was seeing me, and felt that I was distracting her from her job, classes, studying, and God's work. He pulled me aside and told me that his girl was a good girl, and he was keeping his eyes on me, that he knew a wolf in sheep's clothing when he saw one." I take another drink, knowing the next part is hard.

"The weeks went on and we began having an intimate relationship. I started taking her to top restaurants, and told her all about my mom. You are the only other person that knows what she said to me. She started to tell me about how she and her father were arguing more, because he felt that she was being disrespectful. It got to the point where I was worried that he was abusing her. I thought he was hitting her because she was acting so fucking scared of him. She swore that he never hit her. He was just so controlling. I'm still not sure I believe that he wasn't abusive. He always wanted to know where she was, who she was with, and what she was doing at all times. He demanded that she forgive Sam, and he insisted that Sam made a mistake, but that he still loved her. He also insisted that she start giving Sam a chance to redeem himself with her." I let out a deep breath and run my fingers through my hair.

"Tanya would tell me all the time, how she wished she could just get away. I told her about the money that I had. I told her that I could buy a condo, and we could move in together. I told her that if she wanted, she could even have her own room; I just wanted her safe and happy. She refused, saying her dad would come around in time, and that she needed to look after him. That she had promised her mother on her death bed that she would. Everyone thought that her father was this great man, and that he was a perfect father. Everyone I knew, praised him on how wonderful he was. Everyone thought the sun raised and set on his ass." Stopping for a minute, I take a few cleansing breaths because I know this is one of the hard parts.

"I remember coming home and finding Tanya outside my room; she had been crying. I pulled her into my arms, and she told she was pregnant. I felt my heart stop. Immediately, I wanted to get down on my knee and ask her to be my wife. But she was freaking out, and in the end, she decided that what she really needed to do was have an abortion. I didn't want that, but she kept saying it was the only way. She said she wasn't ready, and I couldn't bring myself to force her into doing something she didn't want to do. I decided that it was her choice, and she said that once we graduated we could get married and have a lot of babies. I gave her my credit card, and she set up the procedure. She told me after the procedure was done, she wanted to get away for a little bit. She wanted to think about where she was going in her life. She wanted to be with me, but she had to find a way to make her dad understand. She decided that it was best to go and stay with her Aunt in California for a few months. She cried in my arms every day for a week and a half, about how sad she was, and how she was going to miss me. The night before her appointment, I made love to her all night long. It was the one and only night that we ever stayed together the entire night." I stand up and walk around for a few, using a calming technique Peter gave me. Moving back to the sofa, I sit down and take a drink.

"The next morning, before the appointment, we went to the Cullen's house. Esme was there, and she was far from pleased. She sat us both down, and I had no choice but to tell her what was going on. The next thing I knew, there was a pregnancy test on the table, and she ordered Tanya to take it. Tanya began crying, and Esme told her that she knew she was lying. Esme said she knew that Tanya had her period last week. Tanya just looked at her shocked, and Esme smirked. I can't remember what all was said, but Esme saw her with another guy a few times. Anyway, when Tanya had told me she was busy with her father, she was really out with other guys. Esme also said that she knew that Tanya was reading up on pregnancy symptoms, and that she knew that this fake pregnancy scam was coming. Tanya laughed at her, and said that she was lying. That was when Esme brought out some pictures, and Tanya shut up. There were photos of her in a really short dress, dresses that she always said her dad wouldn't let her wear. She was with a guy, hugging and rubbing on him in the photo. Esme said she also checked at the college, and after the first week of classes, Tanya had not returned, and was considered a drop out. Tanya started yelling at Esme, saying she had ruined her plans." I stop taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of my nose. After regaining my composure once again, I go on.

"There was so much going on; I couldn't keep it all straight. All the rude words and accusations flying around, it was too much for me to take, and the rejection I was feeling had me shutting down. I moved over to her, and begged her to explain, to tell me that it wasn't true. She turned to me, telling me I was such a bore, that she felt blowing her brains out. She said that I was a lousy fuck, and for her, it was never making love, just bad sex. She said she never loved me, because no one would ever love me, that I was unlovable. She told me how right my mom was to leave me and run away, and no mother would want a son like me. She said I was the reason my mother was ill, that I made her sick and sad. Esme ended up throwing her out after that." I stop to take a drink again, knowing I need to remain calm the worst part is yet to come.

"I felt my heart break; I had never felt so unloved and desolate in my entire life. Her father came to the house, saying that she was gone. He demanded I tell him what I did to upset his baby girl. He said it was my entire fault. Even the police came and questioned me, claiming they thought there was foul play involved. Her father left a month later, saying he couldn't stay around here; he was going to find her. Everyone blamed me, and no one understood why I was so heartbroken and cold. A few weeks later, I found out that there was money missing from my bank account. All she was truly after was my money. She played me so that she and Sam could get away from her father. She must have seen me coming a mile away; I was nothing more than a means to an end for her." I stand again and pace around the room, then return to place beside Bella.

"Two years went past, and I had gone to see Carlisle. While I was there, I heard Esme on the phone. I kept going, but stopped when I heard her say Tanya's name. She kept saying she wanted to see him, or she was going to take her to court. I was standing in the doorway and when Esme saw me, she jumped. It turned out the night before Tanya left, and we had sex all night, I got her pregnant. She was actually pregnant when she left. She gave birth to my son on February 5th, 2004. She named him Edward, after me. Esme's friend had seen her with him, and said that he looked like me and called Esme. Esme tracked her down and had a DNA test run on him; it confirmed that he was mine." Running my fingers through my hair again, I pull on the ends to help center myself.

"Esme knew I had a son for five months and didn't tell me. She said she was trying to protect me, and get as much done as she could to help me get custody of him. But I was angry at her for hiding him from me. I missed his first Christmas, his first birthday. I missed so very much. When I called Tanya, she said she would meet up with me, and she said she would bring him. When I got there, she was alone, and she looked different. I saw nothing of the beauty I first saw in her. She said that she needed a place to stay, and some money. I gave her everything I had; it was close to five thousand dollars. I set up a home for her in Port Angeles, and for the next ten months, I paid her rent. She kept telling me it was too hard to see me, and that I had to give her time. I never even got to see him once, just an old photo of him that Esme had from the DNA test. Every time I would get angry and demand to see him, she would say she would take him and run again if I didn't give her time. She twisted everything I said, and she kept lying to me. She promised me pictures, which I never got. It was close to his second birthday when she asked if I could I meet with her. She wanted a half million dollars, and if I gave it to her, she would hand him over to me, signing away all her rights. Esme found out and stopped the transaction. I still don't have a clue how she did that, but Tanya was pissed. She was screamed at me, and blamed me for trying to get one over on her. The whole time, Esme had been doing her own work, and set up a court case. We were just about to go to court at the end of April: almost a year after I found out about him." I stop again, because I know the next part is going to kill me. I take a drink and a deep breath. Bella pats me on my arm, I know she can feel my stress.

"It was like the first week of March when I was awoken by the police at dawn. The house Tanya was living in with my son, had burned down. They said my bank account was used for the rent payment, and they were trying to track down the next of kin. There wasn't much for remains, and they were checking dental records to confirm, but they were certain it was Tanya Denali and a boy around the age of two that died in the fire. I never got to see him, and he now he was dead. I paid for their burial, and I couldn't even get through the service. I've only seen his grave the one time. I can never bring myself to go there; it just hurts too much. I know it's not Esme's fault, but if she would have just let me give her the money, he would still be here. Rose thinks because I don't go to his grave, then I can't possibly miss him."

I look down, unable to meet her gaze. I feel sparks shooting through my body as she hugs herself close to me. I pull her closer, so that she is straddling me. I wrap my arms around her, and just hold her close to me. Feeling her breath on my chest, and holding her in my arms, makes me almost feel better, like a weight is lifted from my chest.

"I miss him so much. I swear I do. And there is a huge part of my heart that is missing. I worry that I will never be able to love someone the way that I love him, and he's gone. Everyone that I have ever loved or cared about has hurt me, left me, or died. Going to my father's grave is almost impossible for me. There is no way I can go to Edward's grave. I can't; just thinking about it hurts so badly."

I feel my face getting wet, and I hug Bella tighter. "Edward, I don't know what to say to help you. The only thing I can think of is that he's in your heart. You know I don't think I need to be in church to be close to God, because He is all around me and within me. It is the same for your son; he is here with you, and in your heart." She places her hand over my heart. "He will always be here. If you need to go to his grave to say a goodbye, or to gain closure, then you can do it when you are ready. I will be there for you if you need me to be. I will always be there for you. You are my friend, one of the few I have, and I'll always be there for you."

I move us so that we are lying on my sofa, and I stroke her face and kiss her head. "Thank you, Baby." Bella sighs and we both lie in silence for hours, just holding each other close.

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><p><strong>AN: Well now you have learned the debacle behind Tanya, what are your thoughts? Is the Darkward side of Edward a little more understandable? Were you pissed at him when he went outside, and pushed Bella away? What did you think of Bella standing up to Rose the way she did? Wasn't the need to tell Barbie sorry funny? Got to love Esme letting the F bomb fly, and thank goodness the kiddo's were outside playing with Emmett and Jasper while Rose spewed her bull. The next chapter will have a lot in it, and it is one you really don't want to miss, trust us! **

**Chapter 17: Weekend Revelations... will post like normal next Thursday, it is at the beta now.**

**BIG NEWS... A good lot of you have been asking for a Bella POV...well you will get one, but not until after chapter 24 posts. It will be posted as an Out-take, so make sure you have us on author alert for that one. Also, quite a few have asked us if we have a Facebook group for this story, we don't, but there is a group where this book can be openly discussed. Check out: TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction on Facebook. There is a link on our profile. There are also several links for banners on our profile not only that we requested made, but a few fan made banners as well.**

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	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:**  
><strong>As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. Special thanks go out to all of the wonderful gals who read, edit and give their time to help us.<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: Weekend Revelations!<strong>

Bella and I held each other, talking well into the early hours of the morning. It was so easy to be there with her so close to me. Bella allowed me to hold her in my arms, and it was the best fucking feeling in this world. I have never felt the way I do when I hold her and it scares the shit out of me. Right now, we're back at Bella's apartment getting Seth and Leah's stuff ready for their trip.

"Okay, Seth, you have everything from your list in your bag, right?" I watch as he nods his head, and chuckle to myself since Bella has just checked over the list and the bag with him herself. "Leah, do you have everything from your list in your bag, too?"

"Yes, Bella. Edward and I just went through the list twice." I turn my head to hide my chuckle.

"Okay. Well, we have to be at the church in forty minutes, and since Edward is taking us, we have time to double check."

"Baby, Leah and Seth have everything they need. How about you go pack your bag now, and feed Jake? I will help the twins take their backpacks down to the car."

"Okay, I will hurry," she says, leaving to go to her box.

I can tell that Bella is trying to put on a strong front for them, but I know this is killing her to let them go on this trip. It'll be good for them though, and good for her, too. I have planned out this weekend so that she gets a chance to be a twenty-four year old for a change. After we have everything packed and ready, we head out.

I drive them to the church, seeing a bus and a bunch of children. I also see Sally there, and I frown as I pull into a parking space. "Sally works in the Sunday school. She's the main reason they are going. She is taking her cell with her, and said that I could call her anytime. She is also going to have them call me before bed, and when they get up in the morning. You can stay here if you want. You don't need to come with me. I won't tell her who you are." I turn to look at her, and smirk because she answered my internal question.

I shake my head. "No, I'm fine, Baby. Thank you."

The night of the break-in, I explained to Bella that I went by a different name at Aro's, and that the girls I was with had never seen my face because they were blindfolded. I was very glad that she just nodded her head, and didn't ask any other questions. I hate the fact that I've been with them. I don't want my sins to show in her eyes when I look at her each time I remember that she saw me there. When the time comes, and she finds out what I did and what happens there with me and the girls, I hope and pray to God that I don't lose her friendship.

We get out of the car and start walking over. As we do, Sally waves, making her way over to us. Her eyes hit me for only a few seconds before she looks back at Bella. "Isabella, sweetie! I am so glad you made it. Seth, Leah, you need to wear these. Put them on, and remember you're on the Ducks team, which is the best because it's mine." Sally bends down a little, and helps the twins put on their wrist straps that are covered in ducks and the church logo. I watch as she makes sure they're not too tight, but won't slip off. "Why don't you go say a quick hello to everyone, so I can talk to Isabella?" They nod their heads, and go over to the other children. "Breathe Isabella; they'll be fine, I promise. I'll even text you every hour if you want me to?" Sally says questioningly, looking right at Bella.

Bella bites her lip. "No, I'll be fine. It's just that this is the first time I'll be away from them." Bella stops talking, and looks to Seth and Leah, and then to me. "I'm sure Edward will help me keep calm," she says, stopping again to rub her head.

I move close to her side, placing my arm around her, and kiss her head. "I'll do my best," I whisper to her. From the corner of my eye, I see Sally looking between Bella and me with a puzzled look.

"I just..." Bella stops talking and clears her throat. "Just make sure they have a good time."

Sally nods her head at Bella, and turns slightly in my direction. "Edward is it?" I nod my head at her, hoping she has not recognized my voice. "Well Edward, you better take care of my girl here." I nod my head at her again.

The children start to load the bus, and Bella walks quickly over to them and hugs them. "Edward, do you work on the radio or something? I swear I know your voice from somewhere."

I try to control my face as we walk over to Bella. "No, I don't."

She stops and looks at me. "I know I know your voice," she says as she waves her hand. "You know, it will come to me when I am lying in bed. That is when most things hit me." I swallow my pooling saliva, and start coughing.

"Edward, you okay?" I nod my head at Bella, and I wave as Seth and Leah get on the bus.

"Bye Bella, we love you. Bye Edward," they call out, and I smile.

"Have fun! I want to hear all about it when you get back."

Sally stops and looks at me again. "You know this is going to bug me and eat away at my brain all day."

Bella looks between us. "What is, Sally?"

Sally rolls her eyes. "Edward's voice. I know I have heard it before. I just can't place where."

Bella chuckles a little. "Of course you have, Sally."

My heart stops as I look at Bella. "What? You know where I've heard his voice?"

Bella nods her head, and I close my eyes. Fuck she is going to tell her! "He's Professor Masen. Remember you took that class and gushed about how nice looking he was, and how great of a voice he had?" Bella says as a grin grows across Sally's face. "Now what kind of voice did you say he had, again?" Bella asks looking right at Sally.

Sally slaps Bella's arm in a playful manner. "So this is Professor Sexy voice. Thanks, Isabella. I better go or they'll leave me behind." Sally jumps on the bus, the door closes, and the bus moves off.

"What..." I shake my head. "What was that?" I look at her, and I see she looks really fucking upset. There is something else there in her eyes, but I'm not sure what.

"I know that you didn't want her to know who you are, but she went to that class you gave. She took it a few years back, and the whole next day she was going on and on about you and your voice. I thought if I said that, she would stop thinking about it."

I smile, pulling her to me. "Thank you Baby, for always thinking of me, you are so smart and kind. And you are wonderful, so very wonderful. You do know they'll be back before you know it, right? They'll be fine, and they're going to have a lot of fun. I promise you they'll be okay. You know we can follow them if you want to. I don't mind; we could sleep in my car. It could be fun."

Bella shakes her head and smiles at me. "No. They'll be back in fifty-three hours. I'm just going to miss them so much."

I stroke her face and nod my head. "Thank you again for protecting my ass. Come on, I've got some things to teach you this weekend." I pull her hand, and we walk to the car. It doesn't surprise me that she knows exactly how many hours it is until the bus returns on Sunday at three in the afternoon.

**~*HCV*~**

With Seth and Leah gone, I planned for us to just relax in front of the TV. I had a bunch of movies I wanted her to watch with me. We were going to eat a bunch of junk food, and just chill out and enjoy our time alone. Tomorrow, I plan to take her out for the night. At her age, most other girls have been drinking, dancing, and partying the night away. I want to take her out to experience the things she has never got to try. She has never had a drink, so I'm taking her out for one. I know I will have to watch her, but fuck I look forward to that part. Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett have asked to come along for a little while. I've reluctantly agreed, because I know there'll be no getting away from them.

Bella is right next to me on my sofa. We have been watching 'Paranormal Activity', and Bella has been slowly getting closer to me as the film goes on. "Ah!" Bella shrieks out, and I feel her grip my arm tightly as she hides her faces in my chest.

"Hush Baby; it's all just make-believe, but I will change the movie to something else." I get up, turn it off, and put on 'Just Go With It'. I sit back next to her, and pull her back close to me. As the movie plays, she slowly moves closer to me. Her head is on my chest like always when she falls asleep on me. I watch her as she turns and faces me in her sleep. I brush her hair from her face. "You are so fucking beautiful, Bella; you really are," I whisper.

I stretch out, and move so that I can recline back on the sofa. With her in my arms, I lie back and pull the afghan across our bodies. As soon as I'm lying on my back, it's like a magnet; she moves closer into my chest, one hand on my ribs, and the other on my chest by her face. Wrapping my left arm around her, I roll us slightly to the side, and almost groan as her right leg partially lies over my hip. Doing my best to not grind into her partially open legs, I talk myself down. I am so lucky to have this incredible and beautiful woman in my arms, I have to behave; I can't fuck it up now. I smile as l look at her; she looks so peaceful asleep in my arms. I kiss her head before closing my eyes. I feel that I have finally found the place where I belong.

I wake refreshed, to find Bella's body still over mine, and asleep. I am so hard from her heat and closeness. What the fuck are you doing to me, Baby? I stroke her face, watching her as she wakes up. She gives me a smile, but goes to move away from me. "Baby please, it's still early. Can we...could we just stay here like this for a little bit longer?" Bella bites her lip and nods her head, moving her whole body back against mine. _What was I thinking?_

**~*HCV*~**

We get up and make breakfast together, and I laugh at her trying to toss the pancakes. After we're both washed up, she gets a call from Seth and Leah. They're really enjoying themselves, which puts a smile on Bella's face. I listen as they tell her about all the fun stuff they have already done, and all the plans for today. She gets emotional when they tell Bella that it's really fun, but they miss her. I hold her in my arms, and she manages to not get too distraught. I chuckle at her face when they ask if they can do it again. Bella's face pales as she stutters out that they don't have a tent. But Seth is fast on his feet, telling her that Sally already said that they could use one of Aro's, and Bella stutters out an okay. Leah shocks me by telling Bella that she will be okay because I will be there to protect her. Bella looks right at me, and I smile, kissing her head to confirm that I will be.

I am in my living room after getting ready; I have got on dark wash jeans, a dark, button down shirt, and my leather Jacket. I am waiting for Bella; she refused to allow me to buy her something new, saying she would wear something from the clothes Jasper gave her. We went through them together, and I came across a midnight blue dress that still had the tags on it. I told her it was one of my favorite colors, so she smiled and agreed to wear it.

I watch her come down the stairs, and she takes my breath away. The bodice is fitted, with a deep v-cut neckline that stops just between her breasts. The skirt is loose and full, because the waist is cinched with a twist in the front of the fabric. Her hair is down loose and wavy. Ever since her long, heavy hair was cut, I've noticed that it has more waves and curls. She looks incredible. I notice the blue shoes that she is wearing have a heel on them, and she looks to be a little wobbly in them. I jump up and offer her my arm; she smiles and gratefully takes it. As I look her up and down, I know I'm going to have to keep her fucking close to me tonight. There is no way I am letting any other guys get their hands on my girl. Fuck, I am going to end up in jail tonight! I chuckle to myself; at least my lawyer will be out with me, which will save me a phone call. I help her into one of the jackets that was among the things that Jasper gave her; it is a black wool pea coat and much better than the one she had before.

I had booked us a cab, but I know that Bella still doesn't like car rides. When we get in, she almost sits in my lap. I hush her and hold her close to me, telling her she will be alright. She told me earlier today that she feels completely relaxed with me driving now, and knows she can get in a car with me anytime. I am so proud of her. She has come so far since the first time I got her into a vehicle.

When we get to the first bar, we find Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett outside waiting for us. I smile as I step out, before turning to help Bella out as well. Once Bella is on her feet, Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle all shake my hand and start to say their hellos to Bella.

Carlisle clears his throat. "Bella, how are you my dear Little One?"

"I am well, Carlisle, thank you."

"I would like to tell you how sorry I am about Rose and her behavior the other day. She was disrespectful to you, Seth, Leah, and Edward. She was also disrespectful to Esme, and my rules. I have had people in my home that I am not particularly fond of, but I've never behaved as she did. She was also disrespectful to herself and her husband. I hope that you feel that you are able to come back to my home again. I know Esme enjoys your company, as well as that of the twins."

Bella smiles at Carlisle and blushes. "Thank you; there was really no need to apologize to me, but thank you for doing it anyway."

"Hey there, Little Lady! You sure are looking very pretty tonight," Jasper drawls and makes Bella blush even more.

"Hello, Little Bit. I say we get in there and party!" Emmett shouts out.

"Emmett, can you curb your enthusiasm a bit?" Carlisle says jokingly.

"Nope; it is time to Parrrr-taayyy!" Emmett howls out, causing Bella to outright laugh at him.

We head over to the bouncers at the main entrance, and both of them smile at Bella. I put my arm around her and pull her closer to me; the bouncer closest to Bella steps closer to us. "Hello there, Sweet Cheeks. I've not seen you here before. If you need me, I'll be here all night."

Bella hugs herself closer to me. "Do you think we can get in? I'm sure Mitch would like to hear how you here chatting up his client's girlfriend instead of doing your job," Emmett beefs himself up as he talks to the bouncer, who immediately steps back from us, giving him a half nod. Carlisle goes to the bar to get our first round, while we get a table. I told Carlisle to get her something sweet, and to tell the bartender to make her drinks weak. Carlisle comes back to the table with our drinks, and he hands Bella a reddish-colored drink on ice.

"What is this?" Bella asks with a smile.

"That, Little One, is a Sloe Gin Fizz. Don't worry though, it isn't very strong, and it will taste sweet. Esme says they remind her of a fruity drink. Try it; I am sure you will like it."

I watch as Bella takes a sip, and she smiles after she does. "This is really tasty," Bella says with a smile.

We are on to the fourth round, and have been laughing and telling clean jokes the whole time. I smile, looking at Bella, who is sitting right next to me. I'm pleased that she is joining in with us. "I don't really know many jokes, but Seth told me this one. Teacher, teacher! Why is six afraid of seven?" she asks, looking at us, waiting for us to answer. We all know the end to it, but we allow her to complete it. "Because seven, eight...NINE." We all chuckle more at her excitement, then the humor of the joke. I can't keep my hands off of her, and I find myself rubbing her back.

"Come on my Little Bit, come dance with me." Emmett gives Bella a smile, and pulls her up to dance with him. This is her fourth dance tonight; her second with Emmett. I have yet to dance with her. I watch as they dance together; I have kept my eyes on her the whole time. I know that Jasper and Carlisle are talking, but I just can't look away from her. I'm so fucking pleased she is having a good time tonight. Once the song is over, they come back to the table.

"Well, it has been a pleasure, but we need to love you and leave you. You kids be good," Carlisle says, standing up with Jasper and Emmett. I had called them earlier, asking if they would they mind if Bella and I spent some of the night alone. I wanted some time for just her and me together. I want to take her to Twilight; it's a high-class club. She should have done something like this once in her lifetime already, but she hasn't. Since she has missed so much, they all agreed to give us some time alone. I did ask Bella if she minded spending time with just me, and she was very happy to spend time together. I was overjoyed hearing that she wanted to spend time just us two.

Bella and I walk the short distance to Twilight, and I hold her hand as we go. "Edward, would you like to hear a dirty joke?"

I look at her, unsure what to think. "Sure, Baby," I say.

She looks at me, biting her lip. "The elephant fell in the mud."

I let out a chuckle and pull her closer so that I can kiss her head. "I love it," I chuckle as she relaxes more and leans into me as we make our way to the club.

I pay for our entry and take her to the bar with me. We order more drinks and a couple of shots. I find us a seat in a quiet corner, and am pleased Bella pulls her seat around so that she is next to me. I smile, putting my arm around the back of her chair. We continue to laugh and joke with each other, and I watch her as she sits there dancing in her seat.

"Baby, come dance with me?" I ask, kissing her head after I speak. She bites her lip and nods her head. I pull her to the dance floor, wrapping her arm around my neck; I pull her close to me. I put my forehead against hers, closing my eyes. Placing my hands on her hips, I guide her so she is dancing with me.

Suddenly, I feel her body go rigid. "Baby, what is wrong?" I ask as I open my eyes. I immediately see the issue; there is some big fucker dancing right behind her back. I give him a 'get fucking lost' look, and I am pretty sure that he plainly hears the growl that rips from my chest. He holds up his hands and backs away rather quickly. "Baby, turn around," I tell her. She looks up at me and then turns around. I pull her to me so that her back is flush against the front of my body. Wrapping my arms around, her she places one of her hands in between mine, while the other goes on top of our clasped hands. Fuck, I can feel her whole body next to mine. As we move together, her back side is giving off quite a lot of friction. I can feel myself getting hard, but I don't want to pull away or stop dancing with her. Bella and I keep moving, and I lean my face in close to her neck. I place light kisses there.

"Edward?" I hear Bella whisper out. I sigh, trying to get a grip on myself.

"Yeah baby?" Fuck I can hear the desire and neediness in my voice.

"Why are you poking me?" I stop moving and frown. What? I am not poking her. What the hell is she talking about? "I don't know how because your hands and here with mine, but something hard keeps pushing and rubbing against my back. Since you're behind me, I thought you were poking me, but you are holding my hands. Is someone else poking me?"

Oh fuck, she can feel my cock! I knew I was hard, but I never thought about her feeling it, too. Right now, my cock is not only hard, but twitching to get to his girl. I think he may have taken on a mind of his own. Wait; hold the phone...HIS GIRL? "Fuck! I am sorry, Baby, I didn't mean to...Yeah, umm, stay right here for a second." I pull a little away from her and un-tuck my shirt. I hope this will give me some fucking cover. "Baby, I'm really sorry, but I think we should call it a night."

Bella turns to me, biting her lip as she nods her head. "Can we talk for a little bit before going to bed?"

I smile, pulling her to me and kissing her head. "Of course we can."

I feel heat coming from Bella face. "Edward you're poking me again."

I sigh, letting her go. "Fuck Baby, I know. I am really fucking sorry."

We catch a cab back home, and Bella again hugs into me. We arrive home, and I walk her to the living room. I get Bella and me another drink, not sure if this is wise or not. I walk back in, seeing Bella trying to take off her shoes.

"Here Baby, let me help you." I sit next to her, picking up her leg; I remove her first shoe, keeping her leg on my lap when I'm done. I pick up her other leg, and remove that shoe, too. Letting both her shoes drop to the floor, my hands find purchase on her legs. God, her legs are sexy, and I fight my own wants to keep my hands below her knees.

"Edward?"

I turn and smile at her. "Yeah, Baby?"

She bites her lip as her eyes flash to my lips and then back to my eyes. The movement was really fast, but I caught it. "Have you ever kissed a girl on the lips before?"

I look at her shaking and nodding my head at the same time, trying to clear up the fog of desire her question is causing. "Yes, I have, Baby. I kissed Tanya on the mouth, but she is the only girl that I have ever kissed that way."

Bella looks down, and I swear I see almost defeat in her eyes as they move to her lap. "Oh, okay," she whispers. She still has her eyes directed to her lap, or rather just away from my eyes.

"Can I ask why you asked? Why do you want to know?"

She looks at me and sighs. "I don't want to upset you, and I know speaking about her does. I just wanted to know what it was like, so I asked you. I figure you could tell me and help me understand. Apart from Seth and Leah, you are the only person who kisses me, so I was curious. I mean, I like you kissing me, I just wanted to know what kissing on the mouth was like." I look at her, and I am speechless. Fuck, I really want to kiss her, so fucking much, but I'm not sure if I could kiss her on the mouth and stop. I know I would want to keep going; I know I want more. "Would...I mean could...we kiss on the mouth? I mean in that film we watched, Danny and Katherine kissed, and they were friends. It's okay if you don't want to; I just wanted to know what it's like. I'm sorry I asked, I just..." Bella's whole face and neck, and dare I say her breasts, have gone red. It makes me wonder how far down her blush goes.

I place my hand on her face, cupping her cheek, and I smile at her. "Baby, I would love to be your first kiss."

Sliding her legs off my lap so her knees are bent, I pull her toward me. Once she is sitting in my lap, I pick up her right hand, placing a kiss on her palm before placing her hand on the back of my neck. Threading my fingers into the long locks of her beautiful hair, I caress her neck with my thumb; mimicking my movements, the hand that is resting on the back of my neck, starts to caress my skin. I can't help but let out a low moan; the desire she is stirring inside of me is coursing through my veins. I haven't even kissed her yet, and the need for her is almost unbearable. With one arm around her lower back, and one on the side of her head, I lean in closer to her. I have my eyes open needing to make sure I see no fear on her face. As I look into her eyes, I see innocence, excitement, and dare I say desire, but there is no fear at all. With my lips mere centimeters from hers, I whisper to her.

"I am only afraid I won't be able to stop."

"Then don't," she says, closing her eyes and the distance between our lips. The soft fullness of her bottom lip is like the feel of silk sheets on your naked body. The way her top lips rests between my closed lips, is like a puzzle piece finding its home. I tilt my head slightly, and with barely any force, I pull her closer to me. Opening my lips just a fraction, I gently suck her bottom lip into my mouth and lightly bite it. Swiping her lip where I bit with my tongue, I moan out. The hunger and the desire for her flesh are raging in me, and I know I need to retreat before I take things too far. With a timid brush of her tongue, I throw caution to the wind, and pull her mouth harder against mine. Our lips and tongues tangle with each other, and I can't get enough.

The need to breathe is what finally slows the advancement of our kiss. As my lips cease movement with hers and I pull back slightly, I can see the flush to her skin. I smile at her, and she looks at me with the same wild desire I am sure is reflected in my eyes. Seeing her like this makes me know one thing for certain: I am in love with this smart, beautiful, sweet, sexy woman. I know there is no way I can ever go back to Aro's again. Even if I can't have her in any way other than a friend, I can't go back there. I can't disrespect her by placing her in my mind so I can get off with a call girl. I move Bella from my lap, and sit her beside me. Turning my body toward her a little, I kiss her gently again on the mouth, barely grazing her passion enhanced swollen lips as I stroke her jaw.

"Bella, I really love kissing you, but we need to stop for a bit. You haven't done anything wrong, and I truly want to kiss you more and more." She bites her bottom lip, and I moan out loud. "Baby, please stop biting this lip; it makes me want to suck it into my mouth and bite it myself. You have no idea just how fucking sexy you are. My sweet, innocent love, I just need things to slow down a little, so neither of us regret anything we do."

"I don't regret kissing you. The flutters in my tummy are still moving like crazy. I really liked that; it made me feel a lot of new things."

"I felt new things too Baby. Things I wasn't sure were real. Can we just sit here for a while?" She nods her head, and I use my thumb to stop her from biting her lip again. "Okay, how about we talk for a bit?"

Bella nods her head and looks into my eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Baby, you can ask me anything. I will answer you to the best of my ability."

"Okay, umm, well...what is it that you do with Sally, I mean with Aro's girls when you're there?"

Fuck, my heart just stopped! How can I tell her? I move back a little. "Bella, I'm not sure, I mean, I don't know if I can tell you." She nods her head a little, and I let out a stuttered breath. "Can you hear me out, and listen to everything I say? I know it's a lot to ask, but I'm afraid that you won't like me if you know all of this."

"You're my friend, Edward, and you don't have to tell me. I'm not sure why I asked, but I have this need to know that I can't explain."

"I went to Aro's to have sex with them, Baby. I went every Monday and Friday night for the past five years. In that time I have seen four of his girls: Sally, Irina, Carmen, and Marie, however I only see one girl per night." Bella looks upset by this, and I can see so much hurt in her eyes. I also see something else, the same thing I saw when we were talking to Sally. I'm really not sure what it is. "But I need you to know that since the Friday before Halloween, I have not actually had sex with anyone there or elsewhere. As of then, I stopped going on Fridays, and I am no longer going there at all. I can't do that anymore; it's no longer something that fulfills a need in me. It's not what I want."

Bella's eyes flash to mine, and there is a new emotion shining brightly there. I dare say it is hope. "It's not?"

I shake my head at her. "No. There is no way in fact, that I can return there for anything, other than to visit Aro, who has become a friend over the years."

"Okay, well when you say sex, do you mean like what Sulpicia was doing with that man?"

I raise my eye brow at her. "I am not sure what you mean, Baby. Can you tell me a little more?" She looks to the floor, and I guide her chin back so she is facing me. "Baby, don't be afraid; I will not judge you, and I will not be mad at you. If anything, I am ashamed of my own self, and my own actions. You can always tell me anything."

"I had no choice; we had no money left and very little food. I was feeling dizzy again, and I knew that meant that I had to eat soon, but there just wasn't enough to feed them and still have food for me, too. I went and asked Aro for a job, but he said no. I didn't know what to do, so I left there and was looking for work. I saw another man. He was not as nice as Aro, but he said that I could work for him. He said he knew some people who would love a nice little cherry girl like me."

I feel the anger building up in my mind, and I have the feeling I know what she is going to say next. "The next thing I know, Aro was pulling me away from him, and shouting at him. Then Garrett punched him. Aro then took me into the man's building, and he showed me the other girls working there. They were all dirty, and very scary. Some girls were in rooms without doors, and there were men with them. I don't get why the men were slapping them, or why the girls looked so strange. One was bleeding and she looked hurt, but she put a needle in her arm. I saw her a little later; she was screaming, pulling her hair, and fighting with people.

"We heard a lot of screaming coming from a room at the end of the hall. There was a door with a window in it. There was a man inside, and he was holding one of those cameras that make movies. Sulpicia was the girl, and she was crying and screaming for him to help her. The man wouldn't help her, though, and there was a big man on top of her, ripping her clothes." Bella closes her eyes, and I am certain the memory is bothering her. "She looked like she was in so much pain. I know he had his..." At this, she points down toward my cock. "I know it was inside her. There was blood everywhere, and Aro and Garrett saved her. Aro had his doctor friend fix her up; she was in really bad shape. Is that what sex is? Is that what you do?"

I grip ahold of her face, and make sure she is fully looking at me before I say anything. "No, Baby that was not sex, that was something called rape. Rape is a form of brutal sex, but it is a sex act that is done against the your will. There is nothing pleasurable, nice, or good about rape, and it is a crime punishable by the law. Bella, what that man did to Sulpicia was bad and wrong. He gave her no choice; that was not sex." I let out a sigh. Fuck, the only image she has of a sexual encounter, is of a girl being raped.

"So you don't do stuff like that at Aro's?"

"Baby, I went to Aro's because I wanted to get off, and I enjoy sex. When I have sex, I like the girl I am with to enjoy it, too. Sex is not about causing pain, but about enticing and arousing pleasure within yourself and your partner. It can give both the man and the woman great pleasure when done correctly. I went to Aro's because it was a way to keep my heart safe. I went there to get no-strings-attached pleasure, but it's not what I want anymore. It is not enough. It will never be enough anymore." I am so fucking close to telling her they are not enough anymore, because they are not her.

"What's pleasure?" I look at her and gulp. "I mean, what does it feel like? Is it like when we just kissed? Even when you kiss my head, I get a strange feeling in my stomach, as if something is moving inside of me. When you touch me, even that first night in the road when you were sick, I felt little sparks, but they weren't painful. I mean, I only feel them when you touch me, or I touch you. Apart from Seth and Leah, though, nobody really touches me, and I've never felt this before. Is it something that happens when you touch someone who isn't a family member? And my lips...my lips still feel all tingly, and I still have little flashes of those flutters in my tummy. Is that what pleasure is, those sparks and the fluttery tummy?"

I look at her intently. Fuck, she has feelings for me, too! How do I handle this? She is twenty-four and I am only the first guy to kiss her. Shit! I look up and see she is waiting for me to answer. "Close, but not exactly, it's a more intense feeling than that." She sighs, but before she can say anything, I keep talking. "Baby, you're twenty-four, and this is all new to you. I will help you understand the best that I can. Can you trust me enough to give me time to think of the best way to explain it all?" She nods her head, and I see her stifling a yawn. "Come on, it's getting late. It's time to get you into bed." Her face falls, and she looks sad again, but she gives me a nod and walks quietly up to what I now classify as her room. Outside her door, I release her hand and turn her toward me. "Goodnight, Baby. We still have tomorrow together, and I am going to church for the first time in like fifteen years with you and the kids."

She nods and smiles at me, but I can see it isn't a real smile. "Thank you, Edward. Goodnight." She goes to walk into her room, but I pull her back and kiss her forehead. I feel her lips shyly kiss the exposed skin where my shirt is unbuttoned. It is all I can do to not drag her off to my bed, or follow her, but I let her go, and watch her walk into her room. With a shy smile, she closes the door, and I bite my tongue to stop from telling her I love her. I move to the stairs, and climb them to the seclusion of my room.

I have been laying here for the past half hour, and I can't get Bella out of my head. I want her here with me; I want her in my arms like she was last night. "Argh!" I sigh out frustratingly. Fuck this! I jump out of bed and head to my dresser, open the drawer I normally never open, and pull out a pair of black, silky sleep pants. After the pants - that are surprisingly comfortable - are on my body, I head back downstairs.

I'm just going to look in on her. I am sure that she is all tucked up in bed asleep. I will not sit and watch her sleep. Why does that sound so fucking appealing to me? I am so fucking screwed! I knock on Bella's door lightly, and there is no answer. I quietly open the door and walk in; I notice the bed is empty. My eyes flash around the room, and land on the arm chair with Bella in it. I move over to her, and push her hair out of her eyes.

"Hmm..." The noise comes from her throat as I rub her face.

"Hush Baby; it's me," I say as I go to pick her up and her eyes open.

"Edward, is it morning already? I feel like I just closed my eyes."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "No Baby, it's not morning. I was just checking on you, and found you over here in the chair. I was just going to move you to the bed."

Bella's eyes go wide. "Can't I just sleep here?"

I frown at her. "Baby, the bed is a lot more comfortable than this chair. Why would you want to sleep here?"

She looks down. "It's too big; I always sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag, or on the small sofa. I've not had a bed since I was four, and I find it a little weird."

I close my eyes. Fuck, she hasn't had a fucking bed since she was a little kid! What does that mean? Does that mean she has been sleeping on this chair when she stays over? "Baby do...do you sleep on this chair when you stay here?"

She bites her lip, and I force myself not to pull it from her teeth and bite it myself. "Yeah...I'm sorry; I know that you have been carrying me up here to the bed. I'm really sorry; I should've told you to leave me on the sofa. Your sofa is really nice. I liked sleeping there last night..." Bella stops for a second and turns pink with her blush. "With you," She says the last two words so quietly. I am sure she didn't mean to say them out loud.

Well this gives me a reason to take her to my bed; I have to get her used to a bed somehow or another. "Put your arms around my neck." Bella gives me a confused look, but complies with what I ask of her.

"Edward, what...are you doing? Are you going to let me sleep on your sofa?" The hopefulness in her voice makes me smile.

"No Baby, I'm taking you to bed." She looks up at me, and I can see the sadness in her eyes. I start move to the door, and she looks at me, confused again. "Maybe I should say that differently. I am taking you to my bed. If you have never slept on one before, then you should start with the very best of beds. If it's okay with you, I thought I could lie next to you, like I...we did last night?" She nods her head and gives me a smile that lights up her face.

Her head drops into my neck, and I climb up the stairs with her in my arms. I go into my room and kick the door shut. Keeping ahold of her, I lay both of us on the bed together. I am so glad my comforter and sheets were already turned down from me tossing them aside. I reach down and pull them over us as Bella moves closer to me. She is laying half on me, and I have my left arm wrapped around her.

"Goodnight, Baby," I saying kissing her head and I feel her smile.

"Goodnight, Edward. Thank you." I feel her lips touch my chest, and I feel an electric current all over my body. Yep, I am so fucked. I have fallen for this beautiful girl in my arms. I close my eyes, feeling at home and calm with her in my arms.

**~HCV~**

Again, I wake up before Bella does in the morning. I lie here, watching her sleep; this has become my most favorite thing to do. Bella slowly starts to wake up, and frowns, rubbing her head. The action reminds me that she will have a hangover; her first hangover.

"Hey, Baby. You'll be okay; I'll get you some Tylenol and water; that should help your head." Bella mumbles something to me, but I can't make out what. "What was that, Baby?" I ask, brushing her hair from her face.

"Will the Tylenol stop the room from moving?" I chuckle and rub her head lightly.

"Yes, it will help. You stay here; I'll go cook you breakfast in bed. Don't move unless you need to use the bathroom, and if you do, I want you to come right back to bed." I kiss her head as she looks at me, biting her lip. "I'll be right back."

I jump off the bed and head down to the kitchen. I make a greasy breakfast, knowing that always helps me when I have too much to drink. I grab orange juice, tea, two bottles of water, and some Tylenol for Bella. I head back upstairs with it, and find her right where I left her.

"Here you go, Baby," I say as Bella sits up slowly. I give her the medicine and the glass of orange juice first. After she has drunk the whole glass of juice, I put the tray over her lap and sit beside her legs so we are facing each other. We eat our food, and I give her my juice to drink, as well. I know that fluids are important for her right now. As we eat, all I can think about is how I know that this is what I want now. I want this with Bella, and I know that there is a high chance that she will not be able to give herself to me like that.

After breakfast, Bella and I wash up and get dressed for the day. We hang out, just watching movies until half-past two. Now it is time to go and wait for the bus to pick up Seth and Leah. After we pick them up, I drop them off, giving Bella some time with them before this evening. We're all going to church tonight. I head home and find myself counting the minutes until I can go and pick them up again. I missed Seth and Leah very much, but I know that Bella needed some alone time with them. I continually tell myself that I am not replacing my son. I cannot replace little Edward; he will always be in my heart. My talk with Bella helped me a lot, and I am planning on speaking about little Edward with Peter at my next session.

I pick up Bella, Seth, and Leah, and we're all dressed the same way that we were on Thanksgiving. We walk into church, and I notice that a lot of people are looking our way, but not in a bad way; many are smiling at us...at me. I listen to the service, join in on the hymns, and find myself enjoying this. Bella told me that they always attend the tea group after the service. We are all sitting at the table, and Seth and Leah are telling me about their trip.

"Hello Isabella, Seth, and Leah, and you must be Edward; we've heard a great deal about you." I look to see the pastor who delivered the sermon.

"Hello. Yes I am," I say, putting my hand out for him to shake, which he gladly takes.

"Isabella, I wanted to personally thank you for those pictures that you gave us for the auction. From your pictures alone, we were able to raise twenty-five hundred dollars. Thank you very much; you have a real God-given talent there."

Bella blushes and looks down. "Thank you, Pastor Weber. That is very kind of you to say. I am pleased that you raised money for the new children's club. I know Seth and Leah will enjoy it once it is completed." I look at Bella, feeling so fucking proud of her. The tea group goes on like this, with many of the older ladies coming over talk to Bella, Seth, and Leah. Most only say a few words, and they all seem like nice people; it makes me wonder if they know how bad life really is, or was, for Bella, Seth, and Leah.

**~*HCV*~**

I was sad when I dropped them off last night, knowing that I would not see her or the kids until tonight. Marcus nicely put my name forward for a special course, and I am currently in a small town called Forks, eating my lunch at a table outside of an ice cream shop. As I look around the virtual ghost town, I see Bree on the other side of the street. This confuses me, because she should be in class right now. Fuck, I hope she is not skipping again. She'll just end up back in summer school if she is. I jump up, and head over to her.

"Miss Tanner," I say, but she keeps walking, so I call again. "Bree!" This time she turns around, and her eyes go wide. I notice her eyes, at first, look scared, but she quickly relaxes and smiles at me.

"Professor, what are you doing here?"

I give her a smile. "I have to attend a seminar for a teaching course. Bree, why are you not in class?"

She looks around herself. "I have...I have a study hour right now."

I raise my eyebrows at her, because I know she is lying to me. "Bree, remember you can come and talk to me about anything. Just because you're not in my class anymore, doesn't mean I won't listen."

She nods her head.

"Bree!" Before she can respond, she is cut off by a loud male voice. I turn around to see who is standing behind me. There is a tall man with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail at the base of his neck; he is looking back at Bree, who suddenly looks scared again.

I stand in front of her, blocking her from his view. "Hello."

The man looks me up and down before sneering at me and looking at Bree over my shoulder. "Bree, you are supposed to be in class right now. Why are you here and not in school?" His tone is a little harsh, and very tight, as if he is finding it hard to keep himself together.

"I was...I had a doctor's appointment, Mr. Hunter." I look at Bree as she stutters out her words. The whole time I was her teacher, she never stuttered...not once. I notice she called him Mr. Hunter. Who is this Mr. Hunter?

"I'm sorry; I don't think we've met. I am Edward Masen. Who are you, and how do you know Bree?"

The man looks and sneers again, giving me an evil chuckle. "I am James Hunter. If you don't mind, I need to get Bree back to school." He goes to grab her, but I move so that I am in front of her.

"I do mind, so back off and tell me how you know her!"

James steps close to me. "I am her Mathematics teacher, and I am also the truancy officer for Forks High School. Miss Tanner does this regularly," James says trying to get around me, but I stop him.

"It's all right, Professor Masen; I should go with him." I can tell by her tone that something is off with this whole thing.

"Miss Tanner, remember what I said," I say, giving her a pointed look.

I hope that she knows I mean what I say. I watch her get in the car and drive away. I will have to dig a little into this James Hunter character; something about him unsettles me. I head to my car and take off down the street; it takes me a little time to catch up with them. I keep on their tail until they get to the high school. I watch as he walks Bree into the school, and just before he close the door, he looks my direction and gives me a smile, which makes me believe that he knows I was following him. I call Caius Macari - Gina's father - immediately, and ask him what he knows about James Hunter. It takes him a few hours to confirm that he is indeed a Forks High School mathematics teacher and truancy officer. He seems to have a clean record, and has worked there for six years now.

I get to Bella's apartment a little after ten at night. I know that I have missed seeing Seth and Leah, as they will already be in bed. I am glad that I will be able to see Bella for a little bit, though. When I get in, she seems a little upset and distracted. She keeps giving me looks that have me a little worried. I hope this has nothing to do with what I said to her Saturday night, or the kiss. Fuck! What if she regrets the kiss? She was drunk; fuck. Please don't say I fucked up!

"Baby, what is it?" She closes her eyes and I touch her face, but she pulls away from me. She regrets the kiss; of course she would, I took advantage of her. Fuck!

My hand goes to my hair and I start pull on it; I need to make this right. "Look, Baby, I am sorry about the kiss. I would..."

Bella starts to shake her head. "No, it's not that; I liked it. I told you, I really liked it."

I frown at her. "Then why are you so sad? Please, Baby, tell me what is wrong?" As I look at her, she looks close to tears. "Please, Baby, what is it?"

She whispers. "I am sorry," she says, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "You mean so much to me; I didn't mean to do it. I just didn't know if I could trust you at first, and I was so scared that you would tell someone and then I would lose them. Then you helped me so much, and even wanted to be my friend. I never had a friend; you made me feel so happy, and I just forgot. Really I did; I forgot. It was not until you said it Saturday night that I remembered. I knew I had to tell you. I knew that you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. I knew you'd ask me to leave. I deserve that because of what I have done."

There is so much sadness in her voice, and I shake my head. "Baby, what did you do? I mean really, what could you have done that has been so bad?" I chuckle a little, but her eyes are scaring the shit out of me. She looks so defeated and heartbroken.

"It's really bad. I am so sorry; I know you won't forgive me. You already told me that you wouldn't ever forgive this. I should've told you then and there, but I was selfish. I wanted one more day with you, but I promised myself I would tell you today."

I feel the tightness in my chest, and my heart starts to speed up. "Just tell me, Bella. What have you done?"

She closes her eyes, and then looks right at me. "I lied to you."

It is the four words I never thought I would hear her say. Fuck! Oh no, please God, not her. This is my Baby; she couldn't have lied to me. I know her so well; she probably lied about something unintentionally, and thinks I will hold it over her head. I am sure she hasn't really lied to me; she wouldn't do that, would she? But she is scared. I study her; this is something serious, I can tell. Women always lie to me, and now she is just like the rest of them. No, she's not! She is not, I know it, and she is not fucking like the others. I need to know what she lied about.

"What was the lie, Bella? What did you lie about?" I didn't mean for my voice to sound angry, and I feel her shaking as her eyes go wide. "Tell me what you lied about, Bella. Just tell me now." She whispers something out, but I can't hear what she says. "Tell me the truth, out loud! Tell me the truth, Bella. What did you lie about? I want to hear it!" Fuck, I need to calm down; I am scaring her.

"I did...I did...not turn twenty-four...I am...I am...I just turned...nineteen...I am only nineteen, Edward."

I look at her in shock. What the fuck? She is only nineteen? She is just a baby, my Baby. I feel her body shaking, and I look down at her. She looks so scared, and it confuses me. Then I see my hands wrapped around her small arms. Fuck, when did I do that? I remove my hands, and see big fucking red marks I left on her skin. I see she is still whispering, and I try listen to what she is saying. When I finally understand her, I freeze. Over and over again, she saying she is sorry, that she's not twenty-four, but nineteen.

I move away from her. "Baby..." Fuck; I have no right to call her that anymore! "I can't be here right now, I have to go. I'll speak to you tomorrow at my house, but right now, I need to think. I'll see you then." She gives me a nod, but doesn't look my way. I open her door to leave. "I mean it, Bella; I'll see you at my house; same time as always." I close her door and start to run from her apartment, trying to get away from her. Fuck, I just hurt the woman I love! Fuck, no, the GIRL I love! Oh God! I am in love with a teenager, who is my employee and student! Jesus, fuck! She is just a baby, my Baby. Fuck! I am a sick fucker that has been having dirty thoughts about fucking a teenage girl. A fucking broken, hurt teenage girl, at that. What the fuck am I going to do?

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><p><strong>AN: Well a lot of big things happened in this chapter. What are your thoughts of Bella protecting Edward and not outing him to Sally? Bella enjoying her first adult beverages, and dances too? Bella and Edward shared the kiss, that a lot of you have begged for...What did you think of it...Good...Bad? Now that Edward knows Bella's real age, how do you think he will handle that knowledge?  
>Chapter 18: Confessions...is the next chapter. We are excited to hear your thoughts on the story so far and where you think this is all going. Please review and we will send you a teaser of Chapter 18.<br>There will be a few out-takes written. We plan to post the first Out-Take all in Bella's Point Of View, after chapter 24 posts of HCV. The Bella POV will be rather large in word count, it is not done yet and last time I worked on it, it was over 8000 word-count. There will also be an Out-Take written in several others POV's. Who would you like to see an Out-Take from?  
>Thanks as always for reading and reviewing, Kasi (&amp;Nikky)<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. Special thanks go out to all of the wonderful gals who read, edit and give their time to help us.**

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 18: Confessions**

Leaving Bella's place, I get in my car and drive, unsure of where I'm going. I don't even slowdown when the speedometer hits one thirty; I just keep driving. I'm racing to get away from the fear and the rage inside me. I still feel so angry; how the fuck did I not know she was only nineteen? I mean, she looks so young; I am so fucking pissed at myself. She's still a baby, and the fact that she's only nineteen, doesn't keep me from wanting her. I want her, and I need to be with her. I want her in every way, which is so fucked up. I shouldn't want to be with a nineteen year old girl. Girl...she is only a girl!

She was thirteen when Sue left her to look after Seth and Leah. She was so fucking young, and she ended up in Aro's club at thirteen! Fuck, if he would have said yes to her, if she had been in the pictures I had to choose from...I would have picked her, I know I would have...fuck! I could've really hurt her, I mean I was good to the girls and giving, but...I'm really fucking sick! Thank God he said no! Fuck, the dip shit pimp that said yes...shit! I'm sure she would have...fuck I don't even want to finish that thought.

"FUCK!" I scream out and I do an illegal U-turn at eighty miles an hour. I decide I need to see Aro. If I find out that he knew her real age, I'm going to add that motherfucker to my shit list. I'm going to hurt him so fucking much, and anyone who tries to stop me, as well.

For once, I park right outside; I really don't give a fuck if anyone sees my car. I couldn't give a fuck less what anyone thinks of me right now. Fuck them, fuck everyone! I barge into the club, and I am met by Felix at the door.

"Where is Aro?" I bark out before he can say a word.

He looks at me and frowns. "He's in his office, Anthony. I thought that you weren't coming back here anymore?" he questions, giving me a puzzled look.

I move around him and he grips my arm. "Get your fucking hands off me!"

Felix's grip tightens on me. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but I can't let you in that office when you are clearly upset over something. I like you man, but my loyalties lie with Aro."

I growl at him. "Listen here you fucking bastard..."

Aro cuts me off. "What in the hell is going on out here? I can hear you in my office!" Aro says, looking between me and Felix.

"Anthony, has something happened to Isabella?" Aro immediately asks, looking extremely worried.

"You could say that. I need to speak with you, NOW! I'm not asking, Aro." Aro gives Felix a nod and he lets me go. I walk around and head into Aro's office. He comes in right after me and closes the door.

"Edward, what happened? Is she okay?"

I pace back and forth around his office, the same office I sat in and picked out the girls I would use to get my rocks off with. I sat right there and picked them out like they were fucking cars, and she was only thirteen!

"Did you know? If you did, you better get Felix in here now, because if you knew, I'm going to ram your head up your own ass."

Aro looks at me and frowns. "You're going to have to help me out here; I have no idea what you're talking about."

I move closer and look down at him. "She is only nineteen. Did you know she just turned nineteen, and not twenty-four?"

He looks taken back, and steps away from me. "She can't be, you must be wrong, I mean she can't be. What the hell do you mean she just turned nineteen?" He looks at me as if I am stupid.

"Bella just told me tonight; she is only nineteen, Aro. She is just a fucking baby, and I've been thinking about her when I was with the girls here! I'm a sick motherfucker. She was so upset that she lied to me. In my head, all...all I can see is the sick fucker I am. What the fuck am I going to do? Tell me what to do?"

Aro shakes his head. "Fuck, are you sure? I didn't know, really. If I did I wouldn't have...fuck. I don't know what I would've done. She came to me looking for work here in the club when she was what, thirteen or fourteen? Shit! Then I showed her...she saw Sulpicia being raped. Oh my God! Oh God, that poor, poor girl." Aro falls into his seat; it's clear he didn't know. I keep pulling my hair and pacing around his office like a caged animal. "Edward, you need to calm down. Have a few drinks and we'll work this out. Irina will be free in two hours, I'm sure she can see..."

I let out a deep growl and Aro stops speaking. "You think that I can go into one of those rooms? I told you that I can't! I can't do that anymore. Did you know that I have to think about Bella to even get hard? Nothing else works - only her! I only want her! See how fucking sick I am? I've been in those rooms for more than two months, fucking your girls while needing her in my mind to get hard for them. I had to stop when I realized I was imagining that they were my Bella. I didn't understand what I felt for her or why, and just when I thought I had it figured out this information came to light. She is so pure, so good, and I felt like shit for thinking about and wanting her in a sexual way. Then Saturday night, she asked me to kiss her. Fuck, it was the best kiss of my life. I knew then that she was it for me. I hadn't been allowing myself to think about her, but that kiss changed everything for me - forever. But now? Now I find out she's just a baby. She's only nineteen, and I still want her. In every way possible, I want her. I want to fall asleep holding her, and wake up with her. I want to kiss her, and hold her in my arms. I want to be there for her always, and I want to make love to her."

I stop talking to pace more, and I can see the look of pure bewilderment on Aro's face. Pulling my hair, I stop and turn to him. "How can I do any of these things with her? It was bad enough knowing that I wanted her when I thought she was twenty-four, but she is just a baby. She is so fucking young, and I am an old, perverted, sick fucker - nothing but a monster. And you know what the worst thing is? Even though I know she's only nineteen, I still want her. I'm so fucking in love with her, Aro, and I left her hurting and upset because I couldn't handle knowing I have these feelings for her while I'm almost ten years older than her." I fall to the floor, because my whole body is shaking. "What the fuck am I going to do? Tell me because I don't know."

Aro sighs and comes over to me. "You are not a perverted, sick monster. She is of legal age. Whether she is twenty-four or nineteen, it shouldn't make a bit of a difference. Age should not change how you feel about her. Edward, I've seen you together, and so has my mother. My mother came to me and swore that you and Isabella were made for each other. She says she can see that you love her already. My mother said you were falling for Isabella before you knew who Isabella really was. She may be quirky and rather annoying at times, but don't ever doubt her; she has this uncanny ability to see farther into things than anyone I know. There's nothing wrong with you being with Isabella. You'll have to work out why it bothers you so much. Only then will you and Isabella stand a chance at being a couple."

I shake my head at him. "She's only nineteen; she's just a baby."

Aro chuckles out loud, aggravating me because I feel as if he's laughing at me. "You say that a lot, Edward. Are you sure this is not you just being scared of your feelings for her? Are you using her age as a reason not to date her?"

I glare at him, both from the aggravation of being laughed at, and his words. "Fuck no! She's been hurt and abused by her parents; people who should've kept her safe. She has been working forty plus hours a week since before she turned fourteen. She's just nineteen. She needs to see the world, and figure out what she wants from life. Once the world sees her, she'll have the guys knocking at her door right and left, begging her for a date. Why would she want me? I am nine and a half years older than she is. I'm no good for her. I'm a monster, and she's a princess. She deserves a prince."

**~HCV~**

I drive around for a few more hours, after leaving the club. I keep thinking about my talk with Aro, shortly before dawn I finally head home. Aro's convinced that not only is Bella good for me, but I am what is best for her. I'm unable to turn my mind off, so I lie in my bed. I turn my head, smelling the pillow that Bella slept on. She was in here on Saturday night, and still her scent continues to permeate my entire room. My bedding and pillows smell like her, and it only causes me to want her all the more. I fucking wish she was here with me.

Every time I close my eyes, I see the hurt that I caused because I got fucking wound up again. Trying to sleep is useless, so I get up and start pacing around my room. I need to stay away from her; all I do is hurt her time and time again. She is too fucking good for me. She should find someone else that will love her. I know that will hurt me so fucking much, but I know I can deal with it if she's happy. As long as I never have to see her with another man, I think I can survive. I think it would kill me to see another man with his hands on my Baby.

Whoever wins her heart, better cherish her and treat her right, or I'll make sure he knows he fucked up. Anyone who truly loves her will do right by her. She deserves the best of everything. God, I love her so much! Why does this shit have to be so fucked up?

I know what I'll do. I'll stay in the background just to make sure she is fine and safe. I know I'll never love anyone the way I love her, but I can't have her that way. She is too fucking good, and so fucking young. I mean, why would she even want to be with me? I turn my head, look at the bed, and I can see her laying here with me. I know that I'm not what is best for her, and it steels my resolve on what I will need to do. It kills me to do this, and I know she's better off without me, but there's a small voice in my mind that is telling me this is wrong, and that I'm what she needs. It's telling me that she needs and wants me as much as I want and need her.

**~*HCV*~**

I couldn't fall asleep at all this morning, and couldn't stop the thoughts that were streaming in my head. I got up after a few hours and showered; I even picked up my home. It's clean, but it still doesn't look as good as when Bella does it. Bella arrives, and I watch her as she comes in the door. She is holding one of her pictures, but has yet to look up or at me.

"Good morning, Bella. Come on in and have a seat," I say in my detached, business-like voice. I fucking hate it, but I have to do this. I can't be the one who holds her back. Bella moves slowly toward me, and sits on my love seat. I decide to take the seat across from her on the couch. I need to keep a good distance from her, or I won't be able to do what I need to. I clear my throat, but Bella continues to look at the ground.

"Bella, I have told you that I would like you to look at me when we speak." She slowly raises her head and looks at me. Fuck, she looks dead inside. She looks even worse than when I first met her. I want to take her in my arms and tell her that everything is okay, but I can't; I'm no good for her. "I know that you didn't mean to lie to me. I'm not mad about that, Bella. I understand. My actions last night were inexcusable. I hurt you and I promised you that I would never do that again. I don't think it will be a good idea for you to work in my home anymore. I will switch it so that you work all your hours at Midnight Sun. I am going to speak to a few people about carrying on your lessons as well." I stop talking when she closes her eyes; she looks to be in pain. I feel the pain in my chest grow at the sight of her; this is so fucking hard.

"This is not your fault, Bella. It is entirely my fault. I just can't be around you anymore; you're better off far, far, away from me." I try to keep control of my voice as it begins to waiver. I know if she doesn't leave soon, I won't let her go. Fuck, I don't want to let her go, but I know I need to.

She shakes her head, giving me her old, forced smile that she used to show everyone. "It's okay, Edward, I understand. I'm really sorry about what I did. Thanks for all your help. I'll start looking for another job, so you don't need to worry about me...about us. As for the reading, it's okay; you taught me more than I ever thought I would know. I can't afford to pay you back for all the stuff you bought us all at once, but I will pay you back. I know you said that Aro has insurance that will be reimbursing you, but if you let me know the difference, I will pay you back every dollar. You should cancel the sofa, though, because I...it will take me a long time to pay that back. I made a note of the outfits you got for us, and the difference between the TV costs already. I'll start paying you back on Friday. Thank you for all your help." I couldn't speak as she talked; the hurt in her voice so clear.

"Bella, no. I gave those things to you; I don't want you to pay me back."

She shakes her head as I speak. "No, you gave them as a friend, and I ruined that, so I have to pay you back. I am so sorry, I know I...I'm sorry." She looks like she is trying to hold herself together, and she's not doing a very good job of it.

"Take your jacket off, Bella." She looks at me and then nods her head, taking it off. I close my eyes, seeing the bruises that I left behind, proving to myself that she is better off away from me. "See these marks I left on you? This is why we can't be friends, Bella. Look what I did to you! I hurt you, because your piece-of-shit stepmother lied about your age, making you carry on with the lie. I'm no good for you; really I'm not."

Bella shakes her head again and closes her eyes, before finally looking right at me. "This...this is my entire fault. You're a good person, a good man, Edward. You took me on, and all you've done since then is help me. You told me in the beginning that you don't like being lied to - that it's the one thing you can't forgive. I chose to lie to you. This is all on me. I know it's not your fault, or my second mom's fault. It's mine." I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. My anger is boiling at this point, because she still blames herself for the shitty situation she was put in by the piece-of-shit woman who was supposed to take care of her.

"Stop, Bella! I'm going to tell you this one last time. I really want you in my life, but I'm trying to protect you like I said I would. It's just that this time, I'm protecting you from me. I'm no good for you. You should find better friends, because you deserve the very best in life. This is all about protecting you from me; I don't want to hurt you again. If I could keep you in my life without hurting you, I would." Fuck, I want her to stay; I want to keep her - forever.

Bella looks at me, and I can see anger in her eyes. "Then why can't I stay in your life, then? Jasper told me that I wasn't allowed to let you order me around anymore. That kind of confused me, as he was ordering me not to let you order me around, but now I get it. If what you're saying is the case, then why can't I choose whether I want you in my life or not? You haven't hurt me! The marks on my arms aren't even sore, and I didn't even feel you holding them. It bothered me that I had upset my only friend. The best adult I have in my life. Stop talking out your bottom; I know you don't want me here because I lied. Nothing more, nothing less; you warned me. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I hope you have a wonderful and happy life, Edward. Thank you so much for all your help. I will always remember you. If you can ever forgive me, or need me for anything, you know where to find me. I'll tell Seth and Leah it's was my fault they don't get to come around anymore. I know they will miss you. I made this for you; it's to thank you for all of your help." She hands me the picture. "Good bye, Edward." I watch her as she walks out the door. Fuck, now I have hurt her more...a lot more.

I unwrap the picture and see that it is a perfect portrait of Midnight Sun's store front, with me standing in the doorway. The way she drew it has the sun setting behind it. It's so fucking beautiful, really beautiful...just like her. I look at the door, feeling my chest getting tight. Fuck! I can't do this. I can't let her go. I run out into the pouring rain after her.

I look around, but don't see her anywhere. Fuck, where is she? I run the way she should have gone for the bus, but when I get to the stop, Bella is nowhere to be seen. Fuck! I run back toward the house to get my car, determined to find her. I stop running and look at the tree in the middle of the boulevard. I feel something pulling me in that direction and I just know that is where Bella is. I move around the tree, and see Bella sitting with her knees curled under her chin. I crouch down to her, and can hear her talking.

"I should have told him at the very beginning. Now I have lost my only real friend. How will I tell Seth and Leah? This is my entire fault!"

Placing my hand on her head, she moves back from my touch, but keeps repeating the same thing over and over again. What the fuck have I done? I squat down and pull her to me. "Hush, Baby, I am so sorry. I've got you." She tries to pull away from me again, but I don't let her go. I hug her whole body, still curled up into my chest and kiss her head while hushing her. "I am so fucking sorry; so sorry." As her body relaxes into mine, I pick her up and carry her to my house.

I take her straight up to my bedroom; she is completely soaked to the skin. Not giving two shits about my bedding, I place her on my bed. I look at her and see how fucking broken she is. Bella looks like she should be crying, but she's not letting herself. The whole feeling of her not allowing herself to cry is starting to piss me off. As much I would hate to see her cry, I know it's something we all need to do sometimes. It is a process in natural healing; even my cold ass hardened heart knows that.

"I'm getting you something warm and dry to put on. Your clothes are wet, so I need to put them in my dryer. Please get undressed and change into one of my shirts."

I turn to grab my old college t-shirt for her again. As I turn back around, I see that Bella is getting undressed with me right here. Fuck, she has a hot body! I want so much to touch every part of her, but she's only nineteen. Fuck, she's only nineteen! I close my eyes, move closer to her, and hand her my shirt. I feel her touch my face.

"I am sorry I keep messing everything up."

I open my eyes, looking right into hers. "You don't mess anything up. Just hush for now; we'll talk once I've got your clothes in the dryer, okay?" I keep looking in her eyes; I can see the pain there. Fuck, what am I going to do? I'm so fucked, and I seriously need help in doing this. "Stay here, I'll be right back," I say as I grab her wet clothing.

I walk out with all her wet clothes in hand, and call Jasper on my way to the laundry room. "Hello, Edward. What can I do..."

I cut him off, before he can finish asking. "I need your help, please. Can you come here as soon as possible?" Fuck, I hope he's not too pissed when he finds out I've fucked up again.

"Edward what happened? I can come over at noon."

I let out a breath; that gives me two hours with her. I fucking hope I can fix some of this before he gets here. "I fucked up again. She...she's just a baby, Jasper." I grip my hair and pull at it in frustration.

"She is YOUR Baby Edward; you call her that often enough, and made it clear it was YOUR name for her. What happened? Can you give it to me short and sweet, so that I know what to expect?"

I let out a chuckle. "No Jasper, I mean she is a baby. She only just turned nineteen. She lied...well actually, her bitch of a stepmom lied about her age. She told me last night. I hurt her, Jasper. I really fucked up. I just walked away, and then today I tried to cut ties with her. I couldn't do it, though. When she left, I went after her. She is up in my room, broken and blaming herself for my stupidity. Fuck, I hurt her, and broke her...again."

I hear Jasper moving around his office. "I'm on my way right now, Edward. You sound like you need me more at the minute than she does. I'll be there within the hour."

I feel my emotions getting the better of me. "Thank you. Let yourself in when you get here." I sniffle as I hang up, and put the clothes in to dry. I grab myself a clean pair of sweats and a t-shirt from my clean work-out clothes and get changed.

I head back to my room and find Bella curled up in the middle of my bed; I crawl up and hug her to me.

"Please, Baby; I am so sorry. I just got scared because of your age. Our age difference scares me. Then I hurt you again, both physically and mentally. Don't you see all of this is on me?" I look at her holding back the tears in her eyes. "Baby, I am here for you, and I've got you. You can cry if you need to, I'm right here."

She shakes her head at me. "No; I don't cry."

I stroke her face with the pad of my thumb. "Baby, why don't you cry? Everyone needs to cry at some point. It's okay to cry; it actually makes you feel better."

She looks right at me and frowns. "There is no point in crying; it doesn't change anything. It will never change things, and no one likes people who cry." I frown at her words and pull her closer to me, deciding just to hold her. She turns and hugs right into me as if she is scared that I will disappear if she lets go.

It doesn't take long for Jasper to turn up. I give Bella a pair of my pajama pants, which are huge on her. She has to roll up the pants legs and fold down the waist. When we head down the stairs, Jasper looks between us, raising an eyebrow at our appearance.

"She was out in the rain; her clothes are drying."

He gives me a nod. "Okay both of you go sit down. Bella, I want you tell me what happened here. Edward, you need to be quiet and listen."

"I lied to Edward and you; I'm sorry." I go to speak, but Jasper kicks my leg, rolling his eyes at me.

"Now, Bella, I don't want you to tell me you're sorry, because we all lie at some point. Even Edward has lied before; just tell me from the beginning. What was the lie, and what happened last night and today?"

She nods her head and clears her throat. "I told Edward I was twenty-four after he told me doesn't like to be lied to. My second mom said that I had to say I was eighteen when she left. She said if I didn't, that people would come and take Seth and Leah away, and they would be hurt. She said I would go to jail, or have to stay with Uncle Harry all the time. She said to remember to add a year on to the eighteen on each of my birthdays.

"I was scared; I didn't know Edward back then. Then, as we talked and he helped me and even wanted to be my friend, I forgot that he thought I was twenty-four. On Saturday, he brought up my age; I knew then that I would lose him. I didn't tell him that night because I just wanted one more day with him before I told him. He was upset that I lied to him, and he left. I hurt my only friend and I couldn't sleep, but he said that I had to come here today.

"I thought he was going to fire me, but he didn't. He just said that he couldn't be around me anymore. I don't blame him for that. Neither of my moms, nor my dad could be around me either, but it hurt hearing him say that. I don't know why it did but...he shouldn't forgive me. I was bad; I hurt him and broke his trust." She bites her lip and looks down at the floor, before looking back up at me. "If I have to go to jail do...do you think you could, or Carlisle and Esme could look after Seth and Leah for me? I don't want them hurt." I let out a loud growl which makes Bella jump.

Jasper swallows and looks at Bella after giving me the look to tell me to shut the hell up. "Bella, you are NOT going to go to jail. Your second mom lied to you. Please do not worry about that, okay? I promise you that." Jasper touches Bella's hand and tries to calm her down. "Edward, it's your turn, and Bella, I want you to listen to everything he says." Jasper lets Bella's hand go and sits back up.

"I was upset, but not with Bella. I understand why she lied she...you must have been so scared." I look right at her now, taking her hand in mine. "I was..." I chuckle darkly. "I am angry at your second mom, at Aro, at a lot of people, but not at you. I was mad at myself because I gripped your arms so harshly. I lost control of myself; I never wanted to hurt you. You mean so much to me, and I couldn't look at myself in the mirror because of what I did and what I had been thinking about you." She frowns at me.

"I have many sins, and I don't want you to be one of them. I don't want to hurt you ever again. I want to protect you like I said I would. I was trying to protect you from me, but I don't think I can stay away from you." I can't even look at Jasper, afraid of what the look on his face might be saying to me. "I want to be your friend; I want things between us to stay the way they were. It's just now, I know you're nineteen."

She looks at me with so much hope that I chuckle. "So I can still work here and spend time with you? Will you still touch me, and hold my hand? Will you still kiss my head, and carry me off to bed when I fall asleep?" I look at her before swallowing heavily, and realize I am too choked up to answer. The hope in her eyes has increased as she speaks. I am still unable to speak, so I nod my head to say that I will. She smiles at me. "I like your touch; it is so different from Seth and Leah's." I take our joined hands and bring them to my lips, placing a kiss there.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?" We both turn to Jasper, suddenly remembering that he's here. Bella nods her head. "Can you tell what your days were like before Seth and Leah came into your life?" I frown; a part of me wants to know, but the other part is afraid of what my dear baby girl has been through.

"I don't really know. I would wake up and clean, and if I had to do a new task, my dad would ring the bell. I knew if he did that, I was to go to where he was immediately. I wasn't allowed to look at him while he would list off what I had to do. I would do whatever he said." I look at her, saddened by what she said.

Jasper nods his head. "Did your mom and dad talk to you every day?"

Bella shakes her head. "No," she says quietly, and it makes me frown.

"How many days would pass without them speaking to you?" Jasper asks, still using his normal voice. I don't understand what he's getting at, but I stay silent.

"Well, I would go two or three weeks without seeing them, so I'm not really sure. When we were in a new place, they would let me know what was expected of me, and then once a month, Dad would tell me what I needed to do that month. Not really sure besides that."

Again Jasper nods. Fuck she's spent a lot of time on her own. I tighten my grip on her hand, but not painfully. "Did they ever hug you, brush your hair, or kiss you when you were hurt?" Jasper asks, stopping his questions as soon as Bella starts shaking her head.

"No, they never did anything like that. I don't remember them ever touching me, after the lady from the home stopped visiting."

Then it dawned on me - she is not scared of contact because of physical abuse. She's scared because no one has ever touched her apart from that one time her asshole of an uncle beat her. Fuck!

Jasper again nods his head. "What happened when you cried?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Nothing; Dad, or Uncle Harry - if he was there, would shout out to be quiet."

Jasper closes his eyes, and I can see this upsets him too. "Did you have any rules?"

Bella nods her head. "I was supposed to do what I was told, and to remain hidden. I was never to talk to anyone, and to always be quiet - like I didn't exist," she says, frowning and looking even sadder. "Uncle Harry said I was too quiet once, and made me wear a bell. He put a lock on it so I couldn't take it off. He was helping my second mom because she was sad. It was about a year after dad died. Seth really liked the bell, but I didn't because it was really tight." I ball my hand into a fist. I will kill the fucker when I find him.

"Can you tell me about your stepmom and what happened when she left?"

Bella shifts in her seat. "I'm not allowed to call her a stepmom; she's my second mom. She didn't like me very much. She said I was ugly and stupid, and the only thing I was good for was cleaning. She was even going to give Seth to another family; she said it was my entire fault, because I wasn't looking after him right. Then she changed her mind. When she left, she said that since I wanted him to stay, I had to look after them both. She didn't know when she would be back, but I had to get a job and make sure I looked after them. She told me that if anyone found out, I would go to jail for being a bad sister, then Seth and Leah would go to a home and someone would hurt them. She said they would be in pain like I was the night when Uncle Harry had to punish me. He told her I was bad, and she said he better have taught me my lesson."

That fucking bitch! I will kill her, too!

"How long ago did she leave?"

"It was five years ago on the tenth of April. I remember, because when I went shopping, there were chocolate eggs on sale for the Sunday holiday." Bella's voice is very detached. She showed more emotion when she was talking about our argument. It really worries me that she continually pushes this under the carpet, so to speak.

"Bella, I would like to talk to you more about this. Sometimes we need to talk about things in our past to help us move on," Jasper looks at her.

Bella looks at him confused; I decide to try and help her understand what he's talking about. "It's like with me and my son, little Edward. I need to talk about him, and I'm planning on doing so with Peter on Thursday. I also need to talk about Tanya, so I can put her behind me and move on. I want to have a good friendship with you, so I need to do this for myself, for you, and for us."

Bella looks at me nods her head. "I'll do it for you, too."

I smile at her and shake my head. "Baby, you need to do it for yourself, not for me." She nods her head again, so I place my hand on her face and she leans into it.

"As for you two and this whole fight, that's just what friendship is about. You both have come a long way. It's completely normal for friends to fight; simple as that. Fact of life: friends fight all the time. You need to listen to each other and talk, but I see this as a good thing. You had your first fight, and are on the road to making up. I think it would be good for both of you to sit and talk to each other some more. Open up to what you each want out of this friendship." Jasper looks right at me and raises his eyebrows. "I better get back to work now."

I nod at him.

"Thank you, Jasper." Bella shocks both of us by hugging Jasper as she speaks. She frowns and looks at me after she's done.

"I'll just see Jasper out, okay?" Bella nods her head, so I walk Jasper to his car.

"Are you planning on telling her that you're in love with her?"

I shake my head at him. "I can't be in her life like that; I know that. But I don't think I can let her go, either. I don't know. She is only a baby, Jasper."

He chuckles at me and I glare at him. "Edward, she's nineteen. She's not a baby. Just because you keep saying she is, that doesn't make it so." Jasper sighs and clasps my shoulder. "I'm not saying it will be easy. It will be far from it, in fact. But you should tell her, give her the choice. Stop making choices for her, especially when these choices affect both of you. I'll come back later, because we need to talk about what she said in there." At that, he gets in his car and drives away. That fucker thinks he knows everything!

I head back in to see Bella still sitting exactly where I left her, and she looks completely exhausted. "Did you sleep last night?"

She shakes her head. "No, I couldn't sleep; I haven't slept since Saturday night with you."

I look at her and rub my face. "Go up to my room and get in bed. I'll be there in a minute." She looks at me as if she is unsure. "Please Baby?" She nods her head and goes up the stairs. I pick up my phone and call Marcus, telling him I need the rest of the week off, which he agrees to without any questions. Over the five years I have worked at the college, I only have taken two weeks off, so he knows he owes me.

I head up to my room and see Bella in my bed. She looks so right lying there. Fuck, I can't; I refuse to think like that. I set the alarm for three since she needs to pick up Seth and Leah at four thirty. It is not a lot of time, but I think we both need to get a little sleep while we can. Bella looks at me like I've grown another head as I start to climb into bed with her.

"We'll talk once we wake up; I'm not letting you go. I was stupid to try," I say. I pull her close to me and kiss her head. She snuggles down and lies on my chest, just like she did Saturday night, and it doesn't take long for us both to fall asleep.

I am pulled from my comforting slumber by the blare of my alarm clock. I look down at Bella, who is also awake, and I don't want to let her go. I reach over and turn off the alarm, but don't yet release Bella from my other arm.

"How are you feeling now Baby, after our little nap?"

She looks at me, but still looks rather sad. "I am better, thank you. How are you?"

I shake my head at her. "I'm good, Baby. I will go get your clothes from the dryer. Why don't you take a shower, and while I'm down there, I'll make you something to eat."

She looks down blushing. "Do...do I smell bad?"

I chuckle. "No you smell good Baby, really good. I just want you to relax a little, and I find showers and baths very relaxing. I just thought," I stop talking for a minute to take deep breath, sighing deeply and pulling at my hair. "Are you sure you're okay? You know you don't have to shower if you don't want to, right?"

"Are you sure that you don't want to shower first?"

I shake my head at her. "I'll get one later. You go get all cleaned up and fresh. I'll see you downstairs soon." I walk out and head down to get her clothes from the dryer. I put the kettle on and gather together the things to make sandwiches, before taking her clothes back up to her. I hear my shower running, and I do my best not to think about her in there naked.

Naked in my shower; fuck, I'm hard again. She is only fucking nineteen! She's my friend; she's my friend, and she's only nineteen! She's a friend who you are in love with. You have to stake your claim before she finds someone else! Why let someone else have her when she wants you, too? She will end up with someone, and hopefully that someone treats her well. Or...that someone could be you if you just stop being a damn pussy!

I place the clothes on my bed, and head back down to the kitchen to put together some chicken salad sandwiches. Just as I finish making the third sandwich, I look up and see Bella as she walks into the kitchen. She takes one look at me before quickly moving to my side and wrapping her arms around me as she starts to beg.

"Please don't leave me; please, Edward. I swear I'll never, ever lie to you again."

I put down the knife, and wrap my arms around her. "Hush now," I whisper. Picking her up, I turn to place her on the clean kitchen counter. "You're fine...we're fine Baby, really. We're good, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be with you until you order me away." I speak into her ear.

"Never," she says with a laugh and cry combined.

I chuckle at her remark. "Baby, I'm so glad to hear that." I sigh heavily before placing her back down on her feet and stepping away from her. "We need to talk." I sit down on my seat, and run my hands through my hair. I motion for Bella to join me, and she sits across from me. "I'm afraid that I'll hurt you again. I have all this anger inside of me, and you seem to be on the receiving end of it. Well a few times now, anyway. I feel like a monster. I hate that I hurt you, and I hate that I did it again. That's why I was trying to walk away from you, even though it killed me to do it. I was trying to protect you from the monster that lives within me." I am unable to keep my voice at a normal level.

I watch Bella get up and walk around the table to me, following her movement with my head and eyes. Standing beside me, she looks down into my eyes and places her hands on my cheeks. She begins to rub my cheeks gently with her thumbs. "You're not a monster, Edward. You're the best man I know. I see it in your eyes. You are one of God's earth angels, which is why it hurt me to hear that you didn't want to be my friend anymore. The thought of not seeing you, or being close to you, hurt really badly. It hurt worse than anything I have ever felt before. I don't know if what I feel is right, or if I am even supposed to feel this way, but I know that I love you, so very much. I love you the same way that Beauty loves her beast. But I don't want to change, and I never want to stop being close to you."

I look at her. Yes! She feels the same way! No, she is too young to understand what love is!

I catch her hands in mine, and place a soft kiss on each palm. "Baby, you are so innocent. You're still young and unsure of what love is."

She looks up at me and frowns. "From all the books I have listened to, I think I know what love is. The way they describe love is different in many ways, but one thing remains the same: it's your heart that speaks to you. When a woman in a book falls in love with a man, she describes things that I feel when I am with you. I think I know what love is. If it's not love, then why do I get flutters in my stomach whenever you call me Baby? And why does my skin tingle whenever you touch me? And when you kissed me I felt things I can't explain, but they were in my woman parts that I am not supposed to talk about. I may be naive, and I may be younger than you, but I know that you feel it, too. I can see it in your eyes." I swallow hard, looking at her as she bends down, placing her lips on mine. I am stunned, and yet she does it a second time. I'm frozen, and when she looks into my eyes yet again, she does it with a look of rejection.

Bella, my baby, just kissed me, and I want to do it again. She is so pure and beautiful. Why does something so wrong, feel so right?

Because it is right! She is your other half; don't let her think you don't love her. Tell her how you feel.

She is nineteen, and she only just turned that, but she is mine!

She drops her hands from my face, moving back from me dejectedly. "I'm sorry, I won't do that again." I see a single tear roll down her face.

That tear is the straw that breaks the camel's back. I pull her back to me, grabbing her hand before she can get away. I pull her hard enough to move her so she is straddling my lap. "I stopped going to Aro's because those girls were not what I wanted. They were not you! I want you. I am so in love with you, Bella. You are my Juliet, my Beauty...you're my everything; I'm just so scared that I will hurt you." I place my forehead on hers as my hands rub up and down her back.

"Then don't hurt me; don't push me away. We can do this...learn this, together. Baby steps," she says with a giggle.

I chuckle with her. "Baby steps, huh? Baby steps might not be easy, because I want you and I hate waiting. But for you, my love, I will wait forever."

I kiss her head, then each of her eyes, and then her nose and stop when our eyes meet. I let out a breath as I look right in her eyes; all I see from her is desire, love, warmth, and need. I close my eyes as my lips touch hers. We fit together so perfectly. Once her fingers thread into my hair, she opens her mouth and swipes my lips with the tip of her tongue. I am not sure where she got the boldness to take the lead, but I happily follow. I thread my fingers through her hair, and take over the lead as I devour her mouth and suck on her tongue. Once we both are panting for air, I pull away and see her with a real smile on her face. "Baby, you need to eat before you have to go get Seth and Leah."

She pouts at me, and she is so fucking cute. "Can't we kiss some more instead?"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "No, you need to eat, but we...I can pick you up from work tonight, and after Seth and Leah are in bed, we can kiss some more." Her eyes get wider, as does her smile. "But, you need to eat your lunch."

She gets up enough to turn around, and she leans over the table. This movement puts her ass right in front of my face; she has the smallest, most perfect ass I have ever seen. She grabs her plate and pulls it to her before sitting back on my knee. I pull her close, keeping my arm around her as I pick up my sandwich with my other hand. I might as well enjoy the ride since I am going to hell anyway. Bella is my other half. Whether she is nineteen or twenty-four, she is still the one I want.

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><p><strong>AN: I know it was a rough start, but did you like the out-come? What do you think of Jasper and what he had to say? Who all thinks that Jasper will come to visit Edward with reinforcements? Remember all reviews get a teaser, and we also post a second teaser on Fictionators each week. Chapter 19 is titled: The Legal Side of Things...what are your thoughts about that? Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts with us. Kasi (& Nikky)**


	19. Chapter 19

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. Special thanks go out to all of the wonderful gals who read, edit and give their time to help us.**

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 19: The Legal Side of Things**

I dropped Bella off at Seth and Leah's school. Before leaving her, I told her I would pick her up from UW when she got off. It was so fucking hard to go; I just wanted to stay with her forever. I knew the minute she was away from me, my old doubts would come back. I knew that I had to talk with Jasper about her childhood. It's that thought that makes me leave, even though I want to wait with her, take them home and stay with them. I'm really at a loss for what I should do. What can I do? What should I do? How do I help her? How does someone so pure and good, come from people so evil? The questions are killing me, but I know one thing for certain: if her bitch of a step-mother doesn't stay the fuck away on her own, I will make her. That sorry excuse of a parent will never get her hands on my Bella, Seth, or Leah again. I will protect them with my very last breath, and deplete every cent I have, if need be.

I sit at my piano and just start playing. I let the music guide me, keeping Bella in my thoughts as I play. I let out all the feelings I have been denying myself. I haven't been at it long before I find myself playing _'Angel Eyes'_ by The Jeff Healey Band, and I begin to sing along with my playing.

_Girl, you're looking, fine tonight,_

_and every guy has got you in his sights._

_What you're doing, with a clown like me,_

_is surely one of life's little, mysteries_

_So tonight I'll ask the stars above,_

_"How did I ever win your love?"_

_What did I do?_

_What did I say,_

_to turn your angel eyes my way?_

_Well, I'm the guy who never learned to dance,_

_never even got one second glance._

_Across a crowded room was close enough,_

_I could look, but I could never touch_

_So tonight I'll ask, the stars above,_

_"How did I ever win your love?"_

_What did I do?_

_What did I say,_

_to turn your angel eyes my way?_

_Don't anyone wake me,_

_if it's just a dream_

_'Cause she's the best thing,_

_ever happened to me_

_All you fellows, you can look all you like,_

_but this girl you see, she's leavin' here with me tonight_

_There's just one more thing that I need to know,_

_if this is love why does it scare me so?_

_It must be somethin' only you can see,_

_'cause girl I feel it when you look at me._

_So tonight I'll ask the stars above,_

_"How did I ever win your love?"_

_What did I do?_

_What did I say,_

_to turn your angel eyes my way?_

I have never felt like this for a woman before. How did I ever get this lucky to have her in my arms; as the owner of my heart? I keep playing, hoping the answer will come my way. I close my eyes, and lose myself in the music. It's not long before I am startled by the sound of my front door closing. I look up to see Jasper, along with Emmett and Carlisle.

I sigh, getting up from the bench; it looks like Jasper brought reinforcements with him. I wave my hand toward the kitchen, and surprisingly, Emmett is already making his way there. Jasper stops and looks at me with a raised eyebrow. Carlisle follows Emmett into the kitchen, and Jasper just watches me. I put the cover over the keyboard and make my way over to him. He says nothing, but I know it's only a matter of time before he starts asking questions. I walk to the kitchen with Jasper right behind me, and as soon as we're in the room, Jasper clears his throat.

"Please tell me you talked after I left?"

I nod my head at him. "Yes, and...ugh..." I pull at my hair.

"Come on Ed, out with it. What happened?" Emmett sits down with all the makings for sandwiches already out on the table. He must be super hungry if he got all this out so quickly. I watch him as he starts making sandwiches, and when I look up, I notice that he has also already put the kettle on to boil.

I shake my head at him. "Fuck, Emmett, you're such a woman sometimes."

He looks at me and points the butter knife in my direction. "And you are a prick! Stop trying to get out of it, and tell us what happened after 'Doctor Love' left!"

I sigh, leaning my chin on the table. "She was tired so I...we went to sleep. When we woke up, she took a shower while I made our lunch, and then we talked." They all just look at me, waiting for me to continue. "Fuck! Okay...she told me she was in love with me." I feel myself smile. "Well, she did in her own way; it was so fucking cute." I clear my throat and try to be serious, but end up grinning. "I tried to tell her she didn't know what she was talking about, but she stood her ground. Then she kissed me, but I didn't respond to her. She thought I was rejecting her. I...couldn't let her think that I don't love her, because I do. I told her how I felt, and I kissed her. It was...indescribable; just so perfect." I glance at them, and wait to see who will speak up first.

"So are you two dating now? Is she your girl, or what?" I look at Emmett as he takes a large bite of his sandwich.

"Well, we didn't get that far. She needed to eat and then go pick up Seth and Leah. I'm seeing her tonight; she wants to kiss me some more." I grin again at the memory of her pout. "I told her I would pick her up from work, and we would talk then."

"Uh huh, so are you going to tell her tonight that she is your girl? Come on, Ed! You gotta tell her she is the one for you. Make it right; tell her that you two are a couple."

I look at Emmett and then to Jasper and Carlisle, who all look straight at me. "Well, I don't know. I mean, fuck! I am...she's only...nineteen."

"NINETEEN," Carlisle and Emmett shout out with a hint of a question in their voices, but quickly recover from their shock to tell me how Bella and I are meant to be together.

I roll my eyes at them, wishing they could make up their minds.

"Ed, for a smart guy, you can be so clueless at times. So what? She's nineteen and you're twenty-eight. The fact is, you love her and she loves you, and you know we're behind you one hundred percent. So stop trying to make problems that aren't there. Just enjoy your time with her; you're good for each other." I just look at him like he's grown another head. "I see I'm going to have to whip out the inspirational quotations for you. You're lucky I know some. 'To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.' Bill Wilson wrote that; he's one smart man. You are her world, and she is yours. I have watched both of you these past few weeks, and I've seen a change in each of you, we all have." I go to speak, but Emmett holds up his hand.

"'Love is patient and kind, it is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offense, nor is it resentful. Love takes no pleasure in others' sins, but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. There are three things that last - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.' That passage, my friend, is from St. Paul to the Corinthians and is noted in I Corinthians 13: 4-8, and 13. Or you can reference it from A Walk to Remember. Either way, it's still good. Just because you found the one, doesn't mean that the relationship comes without problems. You need to work it out with her. You two are good for each other; we all see it. Don't deny yourself love because you're scared. And stop being asinine and using her age as a justification to stay away."

I just look at him as he begins to eat his sandwich again. At least I'm not alone; it seems Emmett's comments have rendered Carlisle and Jasper speechless as well. It's not often that Emmett shoots off with a well thought out debate, and he tends to shock those of us who are used to his more playful, bantering side. I shake my head and chuckle.

"Fine, but you all are going to have to help me not fuck this up. I can't...I won't lose her. I don't think I could get over it if I did." They all nod their heads.

"Now, one of the reasons we are here, is because...well, Jasper told us a lot of what she said earlier. Mainly, he told us of her upbringing and how bad things really were for her. We need to take steps to prevent that bitch of a stepmother from getting her hands on those kids if she should come back. They are so much better where they are now, and they belong with Bella. It sounds as if she has literally raised them from birth. I thought she did a wonderful job before, but now that I know how young she is, well she just completely blows me away." I nod my head toward Carlisle, agreeing completely with him.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is right up my alley. Thank God one of us is a damned good lawyer!" I look at Emmett and frown. "I can have Bella declared as Seth and Leah's legal guardian. I'll get the information from her when you bring her to my office Thursday morning. I'll need the birth certificates for them both, as well as social security numbers and any other information that you can get. I need the date Sue left, and any previous addresses that Bella had with the kids. Here's a list for you to work on with Bella. Get as much of this together as you can."

I nod my head and take the piece of paper. I sigh, knowing that my work is cut out for me on this one.

"I will continue to be their family doctor and keep their medical records up to date." I smile at Carlisle. Not only as a thank you, but because I know I can trust him to help me protect her. I look at Jasper, who has been sitting quietly.

"I would like to speak with her at least once every other week to begin with. We need to find out what all they have told her. Not that I think they spent a lot of time with her, but still, a little poison goes a long way. It's going to take some work, and you're going to have to be careful with her." Jasper looks right at me and I nod my head.

"Jasper, why do you think she was so detached when talking about her life earlier? I mean, she did that before when she spoke about her Uncle Harry punishing her. He hit her thirty times with a belt for taking money to buy medication for Leah, and because she wouldn't let him handle Leah when he was angry and drunk." The three of them just look at me, as it occurs to me that I might have forgotten to mention this. I sigh and go through Bella's story, watching as anger transforms on each of their faces. "She was so detached during our talk; why is that? It scared the shit out of me." Jasper takes a deep breath. I know that he's trying to calm himself down.

"There is a part of her mind that realizes that what they did wasn't right. Especially when she sees other parents being loving and supportive of their children at school. The more time she spends with you, with us all, the more she'll realize that she was treated wrongfully as a child. Her mind is trying to protect her from this knowledge; it's a way of keeping her feelings locked away and avoiding emotional pain.

"She learned from a young age that it didn't matter if she was hungry, cold, alone, scared, hurt, or crying. No one came to help her. She was obsolete; nothing. That's the main reason that I need to see her. We must start helping her mind deal with all of this. My fear is that, at some point, it will become too much for her. If that happens, it will all come out at once, and it will hurt her badly. Not only what her parents did, but her Uncle Harry and all the others who have hurt her throughout the years, as well."

I look at him, feeling like complete shit. "That includes me Jasper, because even I've hurt her. Fuck, I'm going to lose her!" I yell, and as I grip my hair, Jasper shakes his head.

"I don't believe that, Edward. The reason she loves you is not because you're the first person to spend time with her; I have seen transference before, and that's not what this is between you two. She has clear feelings of love for you, and I don't think she sees what you've done as hurting her. You also have done something that no other person before you has; you told her you were wrong and that you were sorry."

I feel moisture on my cheeks, and I quickly wipe away the tears that have fallen. I clear my throat and nod my head. "Okay, so what do I need to do?"

They all look my way, and Carlisle starts to speak. "You've got to get her to see that this is a good idea. You have to help her understand that what we want to do is the best thing for all three of them. She is going to need you now, more than ever, because this is a long path that we are going to take. It may take years before she is on the road to complete recovery." I nod my head.

When it is time to leave, I head out with them and give a wave before driving off. I know Bella still has another hour or so to go, but I want to make sure that I am there in plenty of time. I want to be waiting for her, to be standing outside the moment she opens the door. As I drive, I pass a flower shop that is still open. I double back and pull into a parking space in front. I quickly enter, looking around to see what I can get her. I want something that sticks out, and screams I care about her.

"What are you trying to tell her, dear?"

I look around and see an older lady standing there, so I smile. "That I love her."

She nods at me in greeting. "Tell me about your lady?" she asks, having read my thoughts I'm sure.

I rub my neck. "She is the most beautiful person I have ever met, both inside and out. She is so pure, so good...way too good for me. I don't even think she's ever had flowers before. I don't even know if she likes them. I just saw your shop, and well..."

The old woman chuckles and gives me a caring smile. "If everything you said is correct, she will love it if you give her flowers. You must be careful when you pick them out, though. Each one has a different meaning, and the color can change the meaning. These are Chrysanthemums. The red ones symbolize love. However, the yellow ones mean that you are rejecting love, so you don't want them."

I nod my head; it looks like I have some reading to do. "Okay, I will take some of the red ones, please." She smiles at me and picks a bunch of them. As she moves to her counter, I see more flowers, and in particular, I see Carnations. I've always liked them. "What about these? Do they have different meanings?"

The woman looks up and smiles at me. "Carnations are such a simple, yet beautiful and fragrant flower. Pink means 'I will never forget you', purple means capriciousness, red means admiration, white means purity and sweetness, and the yellow means rejection."

I smile as I mentally make my choice. "I'll take some of the white ones as well, please." She nods and gets to work. It takes her a whole ten minutes to completely put together and design the arrangement. When she is finished, I am at a loss for words. It is a true work of art, and I am sure that Bella will love it as well. I am standing here with the beautiful bouquet, and decide to put a card with the flowers, too. I chose a card that has a rather romantic shadow background of two people kissing. I write on the card and then pay the lady.

"I will see you again, I'm sure," I say as I leave to drive to the college.

I sit in my car and wait for Bella to come out, and I am sweating bullets. Fuck, this is so nerve racking. I already know she loves me. Again, I feel myself smile at the thought of her loving me. As the other cleaning staff leaves, I get out of my car with the flowers and head to the door. I put my hand with the flowers behind my back and wait. Like always, Bella is last one out. I watch her bite her lip as she looks up at me.

"Hello, Edward," she smiles, but I notice her eyes flick to my lips and she blushes.

"Bella," I say as she steps closer to me.

"Can I...could we...?" Her eyes look to mine then go to my lips. I know what she is asking. She wants to know if she can kiss me again. I don't reply. Instead, I just step forward, placing my other hand on her face, and I place my lips on hers. Just like the time before, I pull away with a smile.

Bringing the flowers from behind my back, I show them to her. "These are for you." She blushes, looking at me and then to the flowers.

She pulls the flowers to her face and smells them. "These are so beautiful, thank you." I kiss her head as she takes them in her right hand. I hold out my right hand, taking her left and pulling her back to me.

"Not as beautiful as you are," I say, hearing a gasp from beside us. Looking to the side, I see Gina storming off toward the parking lot. I kiss Bella's lips. "Come on, Baby, let's get you home." She continues to hold my hand and walks with me to the car.

When we get to Zafrina's, we knock on the door. I smile at Bella and kiss her on the head as the door opens. Zafrina looks at both of us and smiles cheerfully. "Seth, Leah...Isabella and Edward are here, so get your things together."

I see both Seth and Leah look at me. "Yes, Edward is here tonight!" Seth says as he fist pumps in the air.

I chuckle and give him a smile. "I'm happy to see you, too."

Seth and Leah pick up their books and give Zafrina a kiss on the cheek before coming over to Bella and me. "Edward, can you stay here for a second?" I look at Zafrina and swallow hard, hoping she is not going to say that I am no good for Bella. I nod my head, giving Bella a kiss before watching as she leaves with Seth and Leah in tow.

"Ah...shit." I pull my hair. "I love her. I know I fucked up last night, but I...fuck!" Please good God, why is this so fucking hard?

Zafrina chuckles, making me look at her. "Sorry, you're just so cute when you get tongue-tied." She chuckles more, and I try to speak again, but she holds up her hand. "Please don't try to say anymore. Shit, I want to say this and not be on the floor laughing my ass off at you." She calms herself down and walks to the kitchen, waving her hand at me to follow her.

"I didn't know, I really didn't, and I just want you to know that. I thought she looked young, but I just thought it was because she was so small; maybe she was just a late bloomer. I heard about what happened at the club, and that put a smile on my face. I have to tell you, Edna, I am proud of you. Not many people have the balls to stand up to Aro, especially not with Felix right outside the door. But you did, and you did it for her. I understand your reaction to what she said. It shows me that you have a good character, but I already knew that or you never would have gotten close to her. I am even more pleased to see that you took your head out of your ass to fix things with her." I smile at her as she hands me a vase for the flowers. "She doesn't have one," she explains with a smile.

I nod my head at her and return her smile. "Thank you," I say, and I realize just how lucky Bella has been to have Aro and Zafrina looking out for her.

I turn to go so I can get back to Bella, but I don't get far. "Oh, and Edna?" I turn back to Zafrina. "That was your only free pass; your ass is mine the next time." She winks at me and shoos me off with her hand. "Have a good night, and keep Little Edna in your pants. And I do mean your pants. Close the door behind you when you're able to shut your mouth and leave." I stand there for a minute with my mouth hanging open, before shaking my head and leaving.

I knock on Bella's door as I open and enter. "Please, Bella? Can we have just an hour up with you and Edward? Please! We haven't seen him in ages?" Seth begs as I close the door.

"Seth, it is almost nine o'clock, and that's bed time. You've got school in the morning and you need your rest. There is still a little bit of time left before you need head to bed, though." Bella keeps her voice firm, and Seth pouts at her.

Then he looks at me. "Edward, don't you think Leah and I should stay up for a bit to visit with you? We have missed you so much." He gives me a big grin, and I chuckle, placing the vase down.

"I think you should listen to your sister, Seth. She knows best." He pouts at me and puts on a sad face.

"Please, Bella? Just a little bit...just half an hour, please?"

Bella closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I love you, Seth, but you and Leah need to keep your routine. That means that you have to go to bed at the right time. Stop wasting the short time you do have by whining and arguing." Seth nods his head, but looks sad. So does Bella for that matter. I know it hurt her to say no to them, but she tries to be a good 'parent' by keeping them to the rules that they have set.

"How about I read you a bedtime story?" All three turn to look at me, and Seth and Leah nod.

"We never had a bedtime story from a book before," Leah says. Leah and Seth look happily at me, and so does Bella.

"Can we go to bed now?" Seth asks as Leah starts making her way to the bookshelf. Bella shakes her head and rolls her eyes at them.

"You need to brush your teeth first, and get your pajamas on. Hurry up! You've got five minutes." They both nod and head for the bathroom.

"Was that okay for me to do that? I should have asked you first, but..." Bella cuts off my words as her lips touch mine, and instantly I push my left hand through her hair as my right arm wraps its way around her back, pulling her closer to me.

"I love you," Bella whispers as her lips leave mine.

I sigh. "I really love you so fucking much." I look into her eyes as she looks back into mine.

"Edward, are you coming to read us the story now, or are you going to keep kissing my sister? You do know kissing girls will give you cooties, right?" I chuckle, but still feel my face get red. As I look at Bella, I can see that her face and neck have turned red as well.

I kiss her head and hug her lightly. "Baby, you have to pick one out, okay?" I walk over to Seth and he nods.

"Remember to say your prayers first." Bella kneels down on the floor alongside of Seth's bed, with Seth and Leah beside her. "It's your turn, Leah," Bella says as she closes her eyes.

"Dear God, thank you for the great day we had today. Please bless our friend Jill's mom who is sick, and help her get well soon. Thank you God for sending us Edward, he really is a nice man, and he is going to read us a story tonight. Please keep our family and friends safe. In God's name we pray. Amen." Seth and Leah jump up to their beds, and I chuckle at their excitement.

I pick up the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and watch as Bella climbs up on Leah's bed while I sit on Seth's bed next to him. "Are you all comfortable?" I look between the three and they all nod their heads. "Once there was a tree. And she loved a little boy. Every day the boy would come..." I continue on with the rest of the story, keeping my voice soft. While reading, I notice Bella and how happy she is to hear the story. As I get close to the end of the book, I grow more excited, because soon, I will have some alone time with Bella. "I'm sorry, boy...but I have nothing left to give you. But the boy replies: I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest. The tree then says, well, an old tree stump is a good place for sitting and resting. Come, boy, sit down and rest. The boy obliges and the tree was very happy." I close the book while looking at Bella. She has a sad smile on her face as she moves off of Leah's bed.

"Goodnight. I love you both," she says, kissing Leah first and tucking her in, before doing the same with Seth.

I smile at both of them, and on pure impulse, I move and kiss Leah's head. "Goodnight, princess." She gives me one of the biggest smiles that I have seen her give.

I move to Seth and he sighs. "Not you, too!"

I chuckle. "Yeah, me too," I say kissing his head and messing his hair. "Goodnight, little man." I look to the door and see Bella standing there smiling at me. I walk to her and look behind the door, seeing Jake still in his tank. "Goodnight, Jake." Bella and I walk out together, closing their door behind us.

She looks to the floor as we enter the living room. I'm worried that she might be bothered by the affection I just displayed toward her siblings. "Was that okay? I mean, that I..." I am again cut off by Bella's mouth on mine. Only this time, she has jumped into my arms as she kisses me. She uses so much force that I stumble back a bit. Bella weaves her hand into my hair and holds tight to me, all while sucking my bottom lip into her mouth. My hands run down her body, picking her up the rest of the way. As I hold her close, I turn, pushing her into the wall. I lick her lip, silently asking for entrance, and she opens her hot, little mouth to me. As my tongue enters her mouth, I feel her left leg wrap around my waist. I use my right hand to support us on the wall as my left travels down her right leg, gripping it and bringing it up, so it too goes around my waist. Once her legs are wrapped around my middle, I slowly move my left hand up her body. I find myself out of oxygen, but not wanting my lips away from my girl. I move my mouth to her neck, and using my nose I nudge her shirt aside to trail kisses across her shoulder. Bella is following my lead as her hands are pulling and grasping my hair. Her mouth is kissing and biting my neck. I can't help but moan out as her teeth scrape the tender skin under my ear. The more I kiss her neck, the more I want her. Moving back to her mouth, I can't help but press myself into her fully clothed core. Our kiss is a fight for dominance, and I gladly give control to her. As she devours my mouth, I continue to grind my hips against her. With my right hand now cupping her ass, I move my left hand on her side with my thumb just below her breast. I feel Bella pant as I pull back enough to look at her swollen lips. It is then that I remember that this is all new to her. As I breathe hard, I give her lips a soft kiss before leaning my head against hers.

"Fuck, Baby, the things you make me feel. Things I never even dreamed I could feel. Baby, come sit with me," I say as I help her slide back to her feet. I pull her with me over to the small sofa and then into my lap because I want to be close to her. "I love you, so much; I told you that I am scared of what I feel for you. I worry that I might hurt you in some way. I don't want that, but what I feel for you...I have never, ever felt like this before. NEVER...not even with Tanya. The feelings I have for you have surpassed that by far. You make what I felt for Tanya sound like a whisper in the wind, a mere cool gust of air. What I feel for you, I can never imagine anything ever being so exhilarating, and refreshing. I want to be with you. I want us to try. I know that it's not going to be easy, but we can make it, I just know it. You must tell me if I do something you don't like, though, or if I move too fast for you." I raise my eyebrows at her and she nods.

"I will, I really love you, too. I especially love the kisses you give me, your sweet kisses."

I smile at her. "I love kissing you, too. I don't see Aro's girls any more, and I won't go back there, I promise you that. I won't see any other girls, because I am with you." Bella bites her lip. "Baby, I don't want any one the way I want you." I stroke her cheek. "I would like to..." I look down, trying to find the right words. Hmm, I don't want to say date, because she means so much more to me than that. I smile when a word enters my head. I pick her up and place her on my seat as I kneel in front of her. "I would like to court you."

She bites her lip and nods her head. "I would really like that."

I smile at her and pull her toward me, giving her a chaste kiss. "Baby, do you understand what I mean by court you?" I can see she is nervous, but I want to be sure she is clear about my intentions. "I want to take you places, buy you things, and spend time with you, showing you and giving you the world. You are it for me, and I know that there is so much more than just a friendship between us. I want to take the time to explore every single, solitary moment I can with you."

She wraps her arms around me. "You already give me the world. You, Seth, and Leah are my world."

I pick her back up off the sofa and stand with her in my arms. "Why don't you go and get changed for bed? I'm going to order us something to eat." She smiles at me and kisses me quickly on the cheek before going to her box. Yep, I'm just going to keep calling it that.

I pick up the vase and head into the kitchen with it. I order us some Chinese food because it seems that Bella likes the food we have gotten there a lot. I see the flowers in the sink with some water. I smile to myself, knowing that she will always find a way to make do if she doesn't have what she needs. I fill the vase up with water and start to put the flowers in it. I feel Bella wrap her arms around me as she kisses my back. "Thank you so much for these. They really are beautiful." I turn to her, smile, and kiss her head. I move to the side as she begins working on the flowers, arranging them nicely in the vase.

I move behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder as I watch her work. "How did you learn this?"

She turns looking at me. "My dad would buy my mom flowers all the time. This was one of my jobs. I used to hate when he got her roses. The thorns would still be on them, and I would always get pricked. I also did this a lot at the hotel, but those were mainly fake flowers." I close my eyes, taking some deep breaths to calm myself. When I'm more relaxed, I open them again and continue to watch her work. I place a light kiss on her neck, and hear her soft moan. I could so fucking get use to this, but only with her.

It takes Bella a little time, but the flowers are all set up in the vase and look like a masterpiece. She places the vase of flowers on the table just as I hear someone knock on the door. I pick up my jacket and grab my wallet from it. Opening the door, I pay for our food and take it from the delivery man. When I get back into the kitchen, I set it on the table as Bella gets us plates and silverware. Together, we set out the food and sit down.

"Baby, in the morning, I'm coming here to pick you up. I have time off from the university, and I'm giving you paid time off from work. It's called vacation time. I would like to spend the next few days with you, without work getting in the way."

Bella blushes, looking down. "I want to spend time with you, too, but I feel bad if I'm not working and you still pay me."

I give her my biggest grin and a wink. "Well, too bad. I give vacation time, with pay, to all my staff, so don't argue with me."

Bella rolls her eyes at me. "Okay, Mr. Boss Man."

I chuckle at her, thoroughly enjoying that she can roll her eyes at me. "I thought we could go for a picnic and then to the movies. Would you like that?"

I chuckle at the end because her eyes light up, telling me she would. "Yes, I would love that. I would love just spending time with you, even if we spent it at the dump or in the sewer."

I shake my head at her and chuckle some more. "Baby, now that would be a cheap and smelly date." Bella nods her head in agreement. "So, Bella Swan, would you do me the extraordinary honor of joining me for a picnic and then a trip to the movies tomorrow?" She bites her lip while nodding her head. "Good. I'll pick you up here at ten." I wink at her which makes her blush. "Eat up, Bella. I ordered all of our favorites. I even got us some desert. These are Chinese donuts." Her eyes light up with excitement. She has a sweet tooth, too. I chuckle and she smiles as she begins eating.

"How was work this evening?" Bella looks at me, and I can immediately see the anxiety she has.

"It was okay," she says with a smile that is clearly forced.

I know that something happened, and I intend to find out what. "Bella Baby, you need to be open with me and tell me things when you get upset. You can talk to me about anything. You know that, don't you?"

She nods her head, and puts down her fork. "I was cleaning Gina's office, and Mr. Brophi, I mean Marcus, had to leave. Before he left, he asked me to put away some files in the cabinet. I saw a box sitting there, but I didn't look in it. Gina came in, and well...she thought I was looking at her stuff. She took them out, asking if I knew what they were, and if you used things like that on me. She laughed when my face heated up, and said that she couldn't believe that poor, little Bella was a virgin. Then she laughed again, and said that she was stupid to assume otherwise. That of course I was virgin, because no one would want to..." Bella stops and makes a face. "Me."

I sigh heavily. Fuck, I am really going to kill Gina - slowly and painfully. I know I can't hit a lady, but at this point, she isn't a lady; she's an oppressive bitch. "I'm so sorry, Baby. My offer still stands to work for me full time."

Bella shakes her head at me. "You'd get sick of me if I worked with you full time."

I stop eating and look at her. She is still so fucking insecure about how people see her; namely me. "Baby, I could never get sick of you. If you need extra hours, just ask me. If you want to work for me full time, then I will make it happen. I want you to be with me, more than you know. I think that I would like it a lot - to be able to see you all night; to see that you make it home safely each night after work. Not to mention that I would love to be able to spend my time away from work with you, Seth, and Leah. I'd like that very much. I'm really starting to think I don't see you enough."

We finish our dinner and clean up the kitchen. Sitting in the living room, we share more wonderful kisses. My sweet girl has me in knots, but I will wait forever for her, if that's what it takes. My heart and soul belong to her, and I'll do nothing to hurt her, ever. I stay until Bella falls asleep. I place the new quilt over her, and I'm glad that the new sofa bed will be arriving on Saturday.

I drive home, and I'm in a blissful fog as I think over the few short hours I spent with her tonight. At home, I lay in my bed, thinking about how close I came to losing her this morning. I can't believe this has all happened in one day. It's as if this one day in time has changed my entire life forever. I can't believe that I almost allowed my fear to keep me away from her. I'm so fucking glad I went after her this morning. Now that I have experienced what kissing Bella feels like, I no longer feel that need for something more. Her modest passion, when she kisses me back, all but does me in each time. And now that I have kissed her with everything in me, there is no way I'm ever going to stop or walk away. I love her, and will forever.

**~HCV~**

I wake up feeling very excited about seeing Bella and spending the day with her. I take a shower, and of course have to take care of my problem. I'm touching myself, yet not thinking about her sucking me off or me fucking her. My thoughts are of making love to her and worshiping her body. When I finish, I make up our picnic lunch and leave the house a little early to collect her.

I knock on the door as I open it, seeing Bella standing there, wearing an outfit very similar to what I have on. I chuckle as I walk in, and make her step back slightly. As she smiles up at me after noticing our clothes, I weave my hand in her hair. I kick the door shut, and pull her to me. Once she's close, I turn us around, pushing her against the door. I lift her up, and she immediately wraps her sexy legs around my waist. I smile, pulling my face away from her so I can talk. "Good morning, beautiful."

She bites her lip and smiles at me. "Good morning, handsome."

I kiss her again, even though I fucking know if I kiss her, it will be difficult for me to stop. I feel the hardness in my pants starting to twitch, so I reluctantly break the kiss. "We better go before I keep you right here, wrapped around my body."

Bella arches into me with a sigh. "I wouldn't argue with that choice."

I kiss her again and let her slide down my body and the wall at the same time. "Come on, Baby, we've got some movies to see."

We sit on a blanket in the park; I'm lying on my back with Bella lying over me. We have pretty much been making out all day, and feel like we've been together like this a lot longer than twenty-four hours. I draw my mouth away from hers, and see that her lips are red and swollen.

"I've been thinking, and I was wondering if you would come with me to Port Angeles tomorrow?" Bella tilts her head to the side slightly, and looks at me, obviously confused. "I want to go and see him; I need to. I think it would help me, but I don't think I can go alone. So would you come with me?" Her eyes are tearing up, and she kisses my lip softly. "Yes, of course I will." She rubs the top of my head, and I close my eyes. Tomorrow scares me, but with Bella next to me, I know that I will be able to do this.

~HCV~

I spent the entire afternoon with Bella, and when it was time, we picked up the kids. I am keeping them with me tonight while she goes to work. We go out and do a little grocery shopping and cook dinner for Bella. I feed them and then they go to take their baths and get their pajamas on.

I use some of my time with them at Bella's to go through Sue's room. I manage to find a bunch of papers with Bella's name on them, including some of the paperwork that Emmett needs. I grab it all and put it into my laptop case so I can give it to Emmett. He already has copies of the kid's birth certificates, because those were in their health files. I found it odd that nowhere in the room did I come across any photos of Sue or Charlie Swan. One of these days I would have to have Bella draw them for me, so I can know what they look like.

When it is time to go get Bella from work, Zafrina comes over to sit with the kids, while I go to get her. I pick Bella up and take her home, where we spend another quiet night together. After we eat and read to the kids again, I hold her until she falls asleep. I cover her gently with a blanket before I head for home.

**~HCV~**

The ride to Port Angeles is long, and we spend most of the time just listening to music and holding hands. I am so very glad that Bella agreed to come with me. I've wanted to visit the grave of my son many times, but was never able to do so. It's hard to lose someone you never really had in the first place. As bad as it seems, a part of me is glad that Tanya died in that fire; I just wish that my son wasn't gone, also.

Arriving at the cemetery, I see the ornate, black, cast iron fencing surrounding the large graveyard. The stones are of many different shapes and sizes, and some of them are very extravagant. I remember where the plots are, but only because I bought the entire corner. It may be overkill, but I own a total of twelve plots. Tanya is in the corner closest to the fence, and my son is right beside her. I will not be buried next her, but I did place my son beside his mother. Even though she kept him from me in life, I cannot justify keeping him from her in death. I park the car, and we sit in silence for a few minutes. Bella runs the hand that isn't clasped in mine across my cheek, and I smile at her.

"Thank you for being here with me; you will never know how much this means to me."

"I will do anything to help you. I love you, Edward, so much."

"Come on, Baby, let's get the flowers," I say as I open my door. I get out and make my way to her door, opening it for her. Gathering the flowers we picked up from the same place I got Bella's, we walk hand-in-hand to the graves. The headstone over Tanya's grave is simple and plain, and states her name and date of birth and death. I place a small bunch of white tulips on her stone. The lady explained to us this morning that they meant forgiveness. I don't forgive her for keeping my son from me, but I know in order to move on and get on with my life, I need to find the forgiveness in my heart.

"I am still very angry with you, Tanya, for not coming to me in the first place. For all the pain you caused me, and for your intentions to hurt me. And although I'm thankful that you gave me a son, I'm angry for your inability to share him with me. I should have been with my son. If I had been, he might still be alive. I refuse to waste anymore of my life hating you though, or holding in this hatred that I have let control my life. So I am doing my best to forgive you. I hope where ever you are, that you are finally at peace."

I stand and Bella is right there holding the large bundle of Daisies. I can see that she has unshed tears in her eyes and I brush her cheek with my hand. "Why are you sad, Baby?"

"I know that she hurt you, and yet you are being so nice to her. You brought her flowers, even though she kept your only son from you. You are a very kind and giving man, Edward, and I love you."

"I love you, too, Baby. Here, let me introduce you to little Edward."

We move to the right, and there is the large gravestone of dark grey granite. The stone is heart-shaped, with a guardian angel standing behind it. Seeing his name there makes this all so much more real; Edward Anthony Masen, Jr. The tears are streaming down my face before I can even place the flowers in the vase on the front of the stone. I fall to my knees, and feel Bella's hand helping me put the flowers into the vase.

"Baby, this is my son, little Edward. I miss him so much," I cry as her arms come around me. We are both on our knees in front of my son's tombstone, and I finally feel a little bit of peace.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay what did you think of the insightfulness of Emmett? Don't you just love him referring to Jasper as Doctor Love? What about those kisses…phew I am here to say that if he kissed me like that he could read me any bedtime story he wanted to read! What are your thoughts on Edward and Bella's visit to little Edward's grave? The next chapter is titled: Snow Storms, and I will give full warning now that there will be a few cliffhangers involved in some upcoming chapters. We can't wait to hear from you and remember we send out teasers to those who review. We also put different teasers out on Fictionators and on the Facebook Group page. See ya next week, Kasi & Nikky.**


	20. Chapter 20

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. Special thanks go out to all of the wonderful gals who read, edit and give their time to help us. **

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 20: Snow Storms**

The last nine days have flown by. The paperwork I took to Emmett revealed that Bella does have a real social security number. It's amazing what that number can get you information-wise. We found out that Bella's mom was an artist named Renee Dwyer, and that she died from breast cancer in January of 1995, making Bella only three at the time. Ms. Dwyer's mother, Mary, died from breast cancer as well. Carlisle told me this does increase Bella's chances of developing it, but nothing is one hundred percent. He will give her yearly exams, and start orders for her mammograms to coincide exams straightaway. If she starts them now, the odds of catching a problem before it gets out of hand are much better. He told me if I was really overly concerned, we could have her do a PET scan as well. I will pray to God and to whomever I can that she does not end up with anything like that.

Bella's grandfather, Walter, died earlier this year. He was the last living family member from her mother's family. There is a large estate, which is in the hands of the judicial system, pending arbitration. We are speaking with the people in charge, and Emmett has filed the correct forms, but it is all taking a great deal of time to process.

Emmett has filed papers with the court, requesting temporary custody of Seth and Leah for Bella. Ben's wife Angela, who is a social worker, is making case notes on Bella's behalf. She is also talking to each of the kids, and doing a home study to make sure that all of their needs are met.

Getting Bella to agree to all of this was not an easy task, but when Emmett explained that if her stepmom came back she could take Seth and Leah away and Bella might never see them again, she agreed readily. He also explained that because Bella was now of legal age, she could prevent this by letting us help her.

I didn't like scaring her but it worked. She thinks that if her mother gets custody, she won't allow her to see them. She's afraid that Sue will then leave the twins with someone else, putting them at risk for all kinds of hurt. She stated that she wants to be there for them to ensure their safety, so she agreed to sign the proper paperwork. We all told her that we would make sure that there was no way that she would lose the kids.

Angela sat her down and explained to her that with her support system, it would be in Seth and Leah's best interest to become their legal guardian. It took us a while to convince her that since she was now a legal adult and she had been taking such great care of them that the court would be on her side. Carlisle, Rev. Weber, Jasper, Peter, Marcus, Samantha – who works with Peter and Jasper, Chas, Esme, Aro, Zafrina, and myself, all worked hard to finally be able to convince her. So far, quite a few people from the church and Sunday school program have written out statements, all in Bella's favor. Aro and Zafrina have documented files that they have kept; all of which have been copied and sent to Emmett. Aro has documentation of all of the work she has done over the years. With Aro's help, and Bella's social security number, I have paid all of her back Social Security taxes, so she has documented earned income. Bella is also now a real employee of the college. She is no longer paid under the table.

Because Bella has had no education, we have set up a verbal IQ test for her to take. Since she is so smart in mathematics alone, I know her scores will be quite high. Once she can fully read, we are going to have her take the GED test and get her high school diploma. Angela said that because the kids are in school, her inability to read will not be held against her. She was also quick to point out, that with the substantial support system that Bella has, DCFS would most likely recommend that the children be allowed to stay with Bella.

Emmett says that at this point, he is ninety-nine point nine percent certain that Bella will be granted full legal guardianship of Seth and Leah in court. Until the hearing, there is a temporary order of guardianship filed, and unless they take Bella to court, neither Sue nor Harry can come in and take the kids away from her. The case has been scheduled for the second week in February, which gives us eight weeks to prepare.

Bella and I have spent a lot of time talking to each other and to Jasper. She had her first meeting with Jasper, and she asked that I stay with her for moral support. Jasper agreed to this, but told her that he would like to work toward appointments with just her.

Her first session didn't delve into any heavy issues, but strictly centered on how she's feeling at this point in her life, and for that, I was glad. I was also quite pleased that she smiles more often now than she used to. It also elated my very soul that she told Jasper that she was happier than she has ever been, and that she's glad that I feel for her the same way she feels about me. Jasper made it clear to me, that when it was just the two of them, he would keep everything she said confidential. Anything shared with me was up to her; she could decide to tell me what they spoke about or not. He would not break her trust in any way. I told him I understood, but at the same time, I know it's going to kill me that she is upset after seeing Jasper and not be able to know why. Even though it bothers me to know there could be secrets; for some reason, I trust her to not keep major things from me.

After going to the cemetery with Bella, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of me. I still miss my son very much, and wish I could've met him, got to know him, and shown him my love. I truly wish he was still here, but I no longer feel guilty about my growing attachment to Seth and Leah. I know that I'm not replacing him, regardless of what others think. I've spoken to Peter as well, and it was good to have an outsider's point of view. He made me realize that it was okay to enjoy spending time with Seth and Leah, and that as long as the time we spent together made all of us happy, then I shouldn't feel the need to justify myself to others.

Physically, Bella and I have been getting closer. Her and the twins come over every Friday night, and stay until Monday morning. I bought a tank to keep at my house for Jake, so he can come, too. Bella has been sharing my bed with me, which is fucking great. I am enjoying the fact that I get to hold her all night long, but I wake up every morning with a fucking woody to beat all hell. Well technically, I fall asleep with one, too. She constantly drives my body wild. My needs and wants for her increase each day, but I'll never push her beyond what she is ready for. I know that she doesn't know much about sexual intercourse, if anything at all, and I'm willing to take as long as she needs. If she ever gets to the point that she wants to make love to me, I will be here for her. If she is never ready, I would gladly abstain, as long as I can continue to hug and kiss her. I have learned I have this need to just spend time with her every day.

It's Friday, and Bella and I are going shopping for Seth and Leah's Christmas presents in the morning. Carlisle and Esme have taken them for the night, so Bella and I can get an early start in the morning. We've been making out on my couch for the past thirty minutes. As my hands rub up and down her body, I move my lips from hers, allowing her to breathe. I kiss her neck, and then make my way back to her mouth before looking her in the eye. She looks pensive, like she has a question, but is afraid to ask me. I push her hair from her face, and kiss her lips lightly.

"Baby, what's wrong? Was that too much? Fuck, you know I won't push you, don't you? Shit, I'm sorry," I stutter out. Looking down, I see I am lying on top of her. "God, Baby, I am so sorry. I didn't mean..." I'm cut off by Bella kissing me. I look in her eyes, and still see that look that tells me she wants to tell me something, but I can see she's not sure how to say it. "Baby, please tell me what it is?"

She bites her lip, and I use my chin to pull it from her teeth. "I don't, I...don't...I'm disgusting."

I frown and wrinkle my brow. "Baby, what are you talking about?"

She looks down, and I can see the shame on her face. I know I need to fix this somehow. "When you kiss me, it...um, well it makes me feel funny down in my female parts. I wet my panties, but not like pee, it's...different." Her face gets red, and at first I'm unable to speak. Fuck, she's getting turned on by us kissing; it's making her wet!

"Baby, that's okay. It's...what I mean to say is, that it, well fuck...does it happen every time we kiss?"

She nods her head, still very embarrassed. "Yes; sometimes it's worse than others, but I can't help it. I'm leaking and I don't know why. I know that right now my panties are really wet and..."

"Baby, you haven't wet your pants. Let's sit up, and I'll explain this as best as I can, okay?"

"Can we go upstairs and change for bed first, and then talk?"

Fuck, keeping my hands to myself is hard enough, but I'll do anything for my Bella Baby. "Yes, Baby, we can do that. I'll get things settled down here. Why don't you head upstairs and freshen up? I'll be up in a few minutes. Would you like a snack or a bottle of water?"

"I think some water would be good, but I'm not hungry."

"Okay, Baby, I'll be up soon," I say, kissing her lips and walking her to the stairs.

I quickly pick up the mess and contemplate calling Jasper. I can handle this on my own, can't I? I'm sure I can. At least, I hope I can. What the fuck should I do? What if I fuck this up? I'll do fine as long as I remember to allow her to set the pace. I'll explain things to the best of my ability, and if she still needs answers, then we will get Jasper involved. I turn off the lights as I lock up the house, and head for the stairs.

Entering our room, I see that my silky black pajama pants are on the bed, and Bella is under the covers on her side of our bed. OUR BED...it does have a nice ring to it. "I'll only be a minute, Baby, here's your water."

As I hand her the bottle of water, I can see that she's wearing the one nightgown that I had hoped she wouldn't wear here. It is that same lacy black one that draws out her innocent sexuality. She is completely delectable as it is, and sinfully sexy in the black lace. I clear my throat and head for the bathroom. I have never brushed my teeth and changed into my pajama pants so quickly before; I just want to be beside her. As much as I try, I am unable to will away the presence of my hard-on. Not that I'm shy of the way my manhood stands proud for her, but I'm worried that she'll find the tent in my pants offensive. Doing my best to will away my erection, I use my robe to help conceal the rest. Stepping back into our room, I move to the bed. With my back to her, I remove my robe and sit down. Lying back, I pull the covers over my lower half right away, to again, help hide my problem.

"Hey, Baby," I say as I roll on my side, facing her with a smile.

"Hi, Edward," she says shyly, and I know she's still feeling embarrassed.

"Baby, don't be embarrassed. We're in this together, and I will answer all of your questions. Please don't be afraid to ask me anything, because I can't help you if I don't know what it is that you need, okay?"

"Okay then, I can do that, and thank you, Edward. First will you tell me now why I keep wetting my panties when we are close together or kissing?"

"Baby, I don't want you to thinking that there is something wrong with you. It's a very normal response to kissing someone, or being close to someone that you're attracted to. When we kiss your body gets turned on. So when we are kissing or being close, your body is considering it a stimulus. When your body is given the right stimuli, you start to feel arousal. When that happens your body self-lubricates to help protect you from being hurt. So when we kiss, your body gets wet down there, to help prepare you...for my body. Does that make sense?"

I can see Bella thinking over what I've said, and I can tell she has more questions, but I wait, knowing that she has to trust me, and herself, enough to ask. I almost begin to lose hope that she will find the courage to ask me about the other things that are boggling her mind. "Edward, does...um...do you get wet, too?"

I almost choke on my own saliva, and I have to bite my cheek to not react to her question improperly. "I do, but in a different way than you do. You know that we have different...equipment below our waists, right?" I ask, realizing how stupid I sound to be a well-educated man.

"Yes; you have a winkie and I have a flower."

I groan internally, and know there is no way I can have this talk until I can set her straight on the proper terms for our anatomical parts. "Bella, I have a penis, or as some adults call it, a cock. You have a vagina, also referred to as a pussy. I will use the adult terms, and try to stick to the given terms of penis or vagina, but please, for my sanity, can we not call my cock a winkie?" Bella nods her head, and is a little red again. I pull her closer to me and kiss her forehead before pulling her chin up to look me in the eye. "Baby, I want you so much, and having this talk is hard enough. I want to teach you, I want you to be able to learn, but I need you to know that we are both adults here, and this is a very adult conversation. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, Edward," she says quietly. I kiss her again, but keep my body away from hers because I'm back to pitching quite a tent. "Edward, does your penis get wet when we kiss?"

"What happens to me is called pre-cum. It leaks from the tip of my penis when I become aroused. My body however, reacts differently than yours does. When a woman gets aroused and she becomes wet, it's purpose is to ready the vagina for a penis to enter it. When a man becomes aroused, the first thing that happens is his penis becomes hard."

"Like...like when you were poking me while we were dancing?"

"Yes, definitely when we were dancing. I was very aroused having your body that close and rubbing against me. I get aroused easily. Just thinking about you makes me hard."

"So right now are you...uhm, are you hard?"

"God yes, Baby, and I'm sorry because I don't want to scare you away."

"I'm not scared...I just don't...I don't know."

"Baby, it's okay. I told you that I will move at your pace. Whatever makes you comfortable, that is what we will do. Like kissing you; it makes me hard and it makes you wet, but if that is all the pleasure I am allowed to give you, then I will gladly give you only that forever."

"You mean besides the flutters in my stomach, the tingles across my skin, and the way my vagina gets wet, there are other things that feel good?"

"Yes, Baby. God, yes, there are so many things that bring different forms of pleasure. Your kisses make my body tingle too, but there are so many other ways to bring pleasure. There are self-pleasurable things, and then there are things your partner can do to bring you that feeling. There are many ways to give a woman pleasure; her partner can use words, or his hands, or his mouth, tongue, or penis. A woman can please herself with her hands and mind, or even some use toys that provide more sexual stimulation."

"Do...um...you touch yourself?"

"Yes, Baby, and when I touch myself I think about you. I feel some of the most intense pleasure I have ever felt when I think about you while touching myself."

"You touch yourself, and think about me?"

"Yes," I tell her, not allowing myself to be embarrassed.

"Can you show me? I mean...would you?"

Now I'm worried that I've gone too far, and I can see that she notices the trepidation in my eyes. "Baby, I can show you how I pleasure myself, but I'm always afraid of scaring you."

"I want to know what you mean by other pleasure. I don't understand, because when we kiss, I feel all tingly. I can't imagine that anything feels better than that. I know...I can feel...my body wants more...down there...you know at my flow...vagina." I lean my forehead against hers and look into her eyes. "Edward, will you show me how..."

I kiss her, cutting off her words. I'm so unsure of what to do; the last thing I want is to scare her. Thinking it over while my cock is throbbing to get closer to her is not helping matters, either. I roll to my back and I pull her on top of my body. Pushing my right knee between her legs, I make it so her legs fall to the sides of my own. The heat coming off of her through the thinness of her panties is almost killing me. Breaking away from her mouth, I kiss her neck twice as her mouth moves to my neck. I moan out, and having her lips on me, solidifies my decision.

"Baby, I'm going to show you how much pleasure I can give you, but if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable or afraid, tell me or shake your head no or push me away, okay? I don't want to hurt you, ever," I tell her, looking into her eyes. She bites her lip and looks so sexy doing so. "Sit up, Baby," I tell her, and she does so she's now straddling my groin. Knowing that I need to take things extremely slow, I decide to go the route of verbal stimulation first. "Baby, can you feel how hard my cock...penis is under you?"

"Yes," she says quietly.

"Baby, don't be afraid to tell me what you like or don't like. You have to be verbal; you have to talk to me. Are you okay?"

"Yes, Edward, I'm okay...it's just that I can feel the wetness again and there is this...pressure."

I can feel her squirm as she talks, and I almost moan out loud from the enticing pleasure it sends coursing through my body. "Baby, I can feel how wet your pus...vagina is. It's so warm, and feels so good pressed against my penis. I want to show you something. If it bothers or scares you, tell me, okay?"

She nods her head, so I sit up a little and scoot up on the bed. Once I have my back elevated slightly, I pull her to me and start kissing her again. Sliding my hands down her sides, I trail them down until they are at her hips. Needing to break for air, my lips move to her neck and hers to mine. I lightly nibble below her ear, and when she mewls out quietly, I feel myself twitch hard under her. With the twitch comes another sound, and her teeth make purchase on my skin. My hands tighten on her hips and I use them help grind her panty-covered crotch over my silk-covered cock. We both moan out, or at least I think we do. The feel of her heat stroking over my cock is so intense. I need to reel myself in so that I can pay attention to her needs and wants. I stop and look at her to be sure she is still okay. Her lips are puffy from the hunger of our kisses, and her eyes are hooded. They're the darkest I have ever seen them.

"Baby, that felt so good to me, but you have to tell me what you thought and how you feel."

"The tapping makes tingles shoot up my spine...but when...you...um...we...push together har...d..." As she says this, her hips press down hard on me. "Oh, Edward..." she moans out my name.

Throwing a bit of my caution to the wind, I start moving my hips in little circles, giving her more stimulation. The whole time I watch her eyes, and hearing her pant and moan while I do it, cheers me on. Letting go of her hips, I slide my hands up her body, just under the curves of her lace covered breasts. I trail both my thumbs up and over the pebbled nipples. The touch causes her to grind into me harder, and she yells out my name. With her head thrown back and my body moving to stimulate hers, I can feel her wetness seeping onto my pajama pants. I know she is getting closer, and I want to talk her through riding out her orgasm on me. Keeping one hand on her breast, I move the other back to her hip. Guiding her into a good rhythm, I continue to move in the little circles. Rolling my hips to match her jerky movements, she moans out.

"Oh Baby, you're so wet. I can feel your hot juices on my cock. I love it when you grind your sweet little pussy on my cock. Fuck, Bella, you feel so good. So hot, so wet, look at me, Baby; I want to see your eyes. I want to watch you fall apart on my cock."

Her eyes meet mine and her body trembles as she presses hard against my groin. "Oh, Edward," she whispers out before she lays her head on my shoulder.

"Baby, oh my sweet Baby. I love you so much," I say, holding her close to me. Positioning her body, I roll us down and lay her beside me on the bed. "Bella, Baby, are you alright?"

She smiles up at me, and nods. "I can't stop smiling. It still feels so good. Can we do that a lot?"

Unable to stop myself, I chuckle. "Yes, Baby, we can do that as much as you want, and we can do other things, too. I just think for now we need to move slowly and enjoy learning and teaching each other about our bodies. Since we have to get up early, let's get some rest now, okay?"

"Yes, Edward. I love you," she says, placing a kiss over my heart. I kiss the top of her head and hold her close to me.

**~HCV~**

Bella and I have been shopping for the past two hours, and she has already gotten a lot of little things for Seth and Leah. She also has one big thing for each of them: a Barbie dream house for Leah and a huge Lego set for Seth. She got a ton of stuff, and has spent less than three hundred dollars. Fuck, she's really good at finding a bargain. With my help, she gets five books for each of them. Bella also picks up several photo frames. She drew pictures for everyone as gifts from the three of them, and wanted nice frames to put them in. She has already shown me most of the drawings she did, and I was blown away by her talent. She was overly worried that people would not like them because she didn't pay for them. I assure her that they will love them much more, because she spent time on each of them, and it shows that she has taken an interest in giving them a picture that they would enjoy.

Since Seth and Leah's birthdays are only a week after Christmas, she has been looking at birthday gifts, too. She wants to buy a Wii and some games. Guitar Hero and the instruments for it are at the top of her list, but there are a few other games she wants to find as well. We found a really great deal on a Wii gaming system that came with two Wii sports games, and they also had the Rock Band set on sale. I talk to Bella and tell her that I want to pay for it outright, and she can pay me back a little at a time. I'm so glad that she agrees to it, that I hug her close to me in the store. Now I know why she has been asking to take on extra shifts at Midnight Sun. She also suggested that I keep her share of the tips until all of this is paid back.

We worked it out that Seth and Leah would have a joint birthday party on that Friday, and then on Saturday, which is New Year's Eve, we would have a small dinner party. On Sunday, it will be just the four of us, and we will have a quiet family day together. Bella was a little unhappy with me for paying for the party, but after I gave her my puppy dog eyes and told that would be my gift for their birthday, she agreed to it.

She has most of her shopping done, and we have made a few trips to the vehicle to lock things in the trunk. "Bella, would you be okay with me buying Seth and Leah things? I don't want to upset you, but I would love to buy some toys and things for Christmas, too." I look at her and hope she knows that that I am being truthful.

She bites her lip and nods her head at me. "If you would like, but..." she shakes her head at me and smiles.

"But what, Baby?" I ask.

She stops and looks at me. "I was going to say that I hoped you didn't feel the need to buy them stuff. That I thought you should only do it if you wanted to, not because you felt you had to. I forgot for a second that you normally only do things that you want to do, and the fact that you're giving me that look," she says as she points to my face, "means that this is something you really want to do." Her face scrunches up a bit and she lets out a sigh. "Just don't go overboard with it. You're already giving them their first real birthday party. They love you for who you are, not for what you give them."

I stare at her in shock. "What?" She looks at me puzzled, and tilts her head like she is trying to figure out what I am asking.

"You said that they loved me?" I know Seth and Leah enjoy spending time me as much as I have enjoyed time with them, but I didn't know they loved me.

Bella chuckles at me. "Of course they love you, Edward! Why wouldn't they? You're one of God's earth angels; you have brought so much happiness to us. I thank God every day for bringing you into our lives." As I look at her, I see her love for Seth and Leah clearly. Her love for me is there too, shining so brightly.

"I love them, too, very much. And I thank God that you said yes to my sorry ass, and that you forgave me for almost making the biggest mistake of my life. I can't believe I almost lost you because of my fear; thank you for letting me be a part of your life." I kiss her head. "Come on, let's get something to eat; I'm starving. Then we have some more shopping to do." I pull Bella along and smile as I hear her chuckle.

As I drive, I think about what I can get for them. I want to get them something they don't already have. What can I get them that won't make Bella feel bad because they don't already have it? I love having them stay over at my place. I wish I had the balls to ask them just to move in already. Seth and Leah could each have a bedroom to themselves. Fuck yes, that's it! I could redo the other two bedrooms. Then when they come over to stay, they can have their own rooms. Seth loves cowboys, and Leah she loves princesses. I'm sure Esme would do it for me while Bella is at Midnight Sun. I'll have to ask Esme today when we pick them up.

I find myself smiling, and I lean over to give Bella a kiss on the head. I decide to take her to Midnight Sun for lunch. I may own the place, but I also love the food. We walk in and are greeted by Katie.

"Hello, Edward," she says, batting her eyes at me. "Isabella," she says absently, and doesn't even bother look at Bella. "It's almost my break time, and I wanted to talk to you if you have a few minutes before your shift begins. Oh, and Bella, I'm glad you finally showed up. The gentlemen's restroom needs cleaning. There was a spill in there."

I raise my eyebrow at her. "Katie, Bella and I are here to eat a late lunch. If there is a problem, you should speak to Taylor. As for the gentlemen's restroom, you can go and get that cleaned before your break. Don't worry about taking us to a table, I can do that." Katie looks at me open-mouthed, and I pick up a menu and turn to Bella. "Come on Baby," I say with a smile. "I see that your favorite table is free." I kiss her on the lips after she smiles at me. Turning, I see the look of rage on Katie's face, and I give her my best 'in your face' smirk and walk Bella over to the table.

We sit down and I slide my seat around so that I am sitting next to Bella rather than across from her. I open the menu, letting Bella hold it as I place one of my hands on her lap. She looks at me, biting her lip. I give her a chuckle and a smile before kissing her lips, "what would you like, Baby?"

She shakes her head, looking at the menu. "I think I'll have the soup with a chicken salad sandwich. I really like them."

I nod my head. "Good choice," I say kissing her again.

"So, what can I get for you two today?" I feel Bella's face heat up as I pull away from her and turn to face Taylor, who has a smirk on his face.

"We will both have the soup of the day with chicken salad sandwiches, and a pot of the green leaf tea, thanks." Taylor smiles at us before leaving. I rub her leg with my hand, giving it a squeeze. Needing to know more about what traditions, if any, she has, I decide to engage her in conversation. "What normally happens on Christmas day, Baby?"

She smiles and puts her hand in the one I have resting on her leg. "All of Seth and Leah's stuff is under the tree, so they get up early and I watch them open their presents. Then we have our breakfast. Zafrina comes after that to let us know she's ready, and we go to her apartment. Aro is always there, and Seth and Leah open gifts there. Zafrina, Aro, the girls, Felix, and Garrett all get them something. After that, they get to open what Santa leaves them." I smile at her, because the sheer happiness on her face is pure. "He really is a nice man."

I look at her and smile at her innocent kindness. "Who is, Baby, Aro?"

Bella closes her eyes and smiles before opening them again. "Well Aro is nice, but I was talking about Santa. Zafrina told me all about him. He can't get into my apartment because I don't have a fireplace, but he leaves Seth and Leah's presents at her house because she has a nice fireplace." Bella looks down, and I can tell that something is bothering her, but I know she will tell me. "Zafrina said that he goes to all the good girls' and boys' homes. I didn't know about him, and we never had a tree when I grew up. I was always on my own when it was this time of the year. Mom hated the cold, so she went somewhere warm. I only ever remember her not going once, but they still weren't with me. Dad took mom away for the day, just the two of them. I think I must have been really bad, because Santa didn't ever come visit me." Bella frowns a little, but then quickly smiles.

"But our first year at the apartment, he did after Zafrina told me all about him. It sounds so magical. I think God must help him with the magic, because God can do miracles, and Santa really would need help. Aro had gotten so many trees that first year that he gave me a free one. Santa left Seth and Leah presents with Zafrina, and he left me a note. I couldn't read it, but I still have it. He always leaves me a sketch pad and new pencils. Zafrina and Aro go to his house for dinner, and they always ask us to come, but I would rather let Seth and Leah play with their new things. We just have a normal dinner at home and play games together."

I swallow and look at Bella; so many thoughts are in my head. I realize she thinks that Santa is real. I know this not her being stupid or naive; it's a part of her innocence. As for the fuckers that were supposed to be her parents, they left her on her own at Christmas every year. They fucked off and left a child alone with nothing; she has never had a real Christmas. I close my eyes, kissing her head. I will make sure this and every Christmas from now on is as magical as I can make it. I also need to make sure that everyone else is aware that Bella thinks that Santa is real. I will not take this from her.

"Here's you order." I look around and see Taylor looking worriedly, so I give him a smile.

"Thank you," I say as he nods.

"Enjoy your lunch, Bella, Edward," he says, winking at Bella before leaving.

"Bella, would you and the twins spend Christmas with me? You could all come over on Christmas Eve, and I could take everything back to your place on the day after Christmas, or even after all the holidays are completely over. I mean we could drop all our packages from today at my house and just wrap it all there. I would really like you all to be there. We could have a nice dinner, and I will even take you to Zafrina's after we're all up and dressed on Christmas day. I want to spend the day with you, and with them. Hell, I want to spend the entire holiday break with the three of you. Hmm, I will even stay at your place instead, if you want. I just...well I..."

I close my eyes, trying to stop my stuttering madness. I feel Bella sitting on my lap as she hugs me. "Edward, I...we would really love that. I would love to stay at your house. The apartment feels different after...well after that person broke into it."

I kiss her mouth, knowing that she has been having nightmares off and on since the break-in. "Thank you, Baby." My lips are on hers as I look into her eyes. We pull back when I hear someone coughing. I look around, remembering that we are in the middle of Midnight Sun. Bella blushes, kissing me lightly before quickly getting off my knee and sitting back in her seat. She mutters sorry to me, so I push my hand into her hair, turning her face to mine so I can kiss her hard on the lips.

"You can sit on my lap anytime, anywhere, and you never have to say you're sorry. I love you." When the word love and you come out of my mouth, I hear a glass break. I look over to see Katie drenched in red wine while she stares right at Bella and me. I roll my eyes before looking back to my baby girl, and kiss her lips again. Bella smiles at me and we begin eating our lunch. After we're done eating, and Bella has called to check in on Seth and Leah, who are having a great time with Esme and Carlisle, we order dessert.

I order us a pudding to share. "Come on, Baby, let me feed you." I smile at her, holding the spoon. She opens her mouth, and after feeding her a spoonful, I kiss her right away, tasting the chocolate pudding. "Ok, my turn." I laugh, handing her the spoon. I open my mouth, but Bella hits my noise instead.

"What was that?" I give a shocked face and she laugh at me. "I'm all messy now." Bella looks at me and leans forward.

"Well, I'll have to clean you up, then." She places a small, soft kiss on my noise, and I feel her tongue just a bit. Fuck, I'm immediately hard. Her eyes open as she moves away from me, and I pull her back in for another kiss.

"Fuck Baby, I love you." I try to slow my breathing. "Come on; let's get out of here."

Bella stands, taking ahold of her jacket, "I am just going to the..." Her head motions toward the restrooms.

I chuckle, knowing she doesn't like to say 'bathroom' out loud. "Okay, Baby. I'll be up at the bar. I'm just going to go talk to Taylor." She nods and walks away from me, so I move over to the bar.

"It suits you," Taylor says with a smirk. I frown at him and give him one of those 'what are you talking about?' looks. "Being in love; it suits you. But watch out. I'd hate to have to beat you up if you break her heart."

I smile and nod at him. "I plan on marrying that girl someday. She is my everything and now that I have her, I will not be letting her go. I'm trying really fucking hard not to fuck this up." Taylor looks at me with wide eyes. "What?" I ask as he shakes his head.

"You just said that you're going to marry her. I never fucking thought that I would see the day those words would fall from your mouth." I look at him in shock as I run through my words, and he is right; I did say that, and the best thing is that I'm okay with it. There is no panic whatsoever. "This came for you," he says, handing me a letter which I open immediately.

Holy shit! I feel Bella wrap her hands around me and I kiss her on the head.

"What's wrong, Edward? What's that?" Bella asks in a low tone.

I look at her and smile, and then look at Taylor. "We have five top critics coming in on Friday. They're going to be reviewing this place, and it will be in the Seattle Times." Bella smiles at me and bites her lip.

"Well, it's about damn time," Taylor says loudly and hits my arm. Thank goodness there's hardly anyone in here at this time of day.

"So this is a good thing?" Bella asks quietly.

I nod my head at her and give her a bright smile. "This is a fantastic, wonderful, exciting, stupendously great thing," I say to Bella with a kiss. "Taylor, I need you to have all the staff here for a mandatory meeting on Monday morning. I'll give Bella all the information written out that I want you to take them through. And then we'll have another mandatory meeting on Thursday evening." Taylor nods, and we shake hands before Bella and I leave.

"This could get more people into Midnight Sun; I just hope everything goes smoothly."

Bella smiles at me. "I will work extra had to make sure the place looks extra nice and clean."

I smile at her, leaning over to kiss her head. "Baby, the way you clean is fucking great, and I can't imagine how you could do any better." Bella and I talk about the critics coming on Friday. I love how she allows me to go on and on about this, and how she seems to be just as excited as I am.

I pull into Carlisle and Esme's driveway, and as soon as the car comes to a stop, Bella jumps out. I chuckle as I get out of the car myself, and catch her before she gets to the door.

"I see that you've missed them." She nods as I open the door and let her go.

"Bella!" Leah shouts.

"Edward!" Seth shouts right after her as they both run up to us.

"We had a great time, but we missed you," Seth says. Bella smiles at both of them, and strokes Seth's cheek as she hugs Leah.

"I'm so glad to hear that, because I really missed you guys, too." I watch as she hugs both of them tightly. Once they let her go, both of them hug me.

"We missed you, too, Edward," Leah says in a small voice.

"Yeah, I did, too." I smile at both of them. "I missed my princess," I say, giving Leah a kiss on the head. "And my little man," I add, tousling Seth's hair.

I look to Esme, and see she is more than ecstatic. "Esme, can I have a quick word with you, please?"

She looks at me surprised. "Yes, of course. Shall we go into my office?"

I nod my head and kiss Bella on her forehead. "I'll be right back, Baby." I squeeze her arm before following Esme to the home office.

She stops at the open door, so I walk in first. She enters after me, closing the door behind her. "I need your help on a couple of things. I know this is short notice, but could you...can you remodel two of my bedrooms before Christmas?"

Esme smiles and goes to the desk, taking a notepad and a pen before sitting down. "I'm sure I can fit you in. What are you looking for?" I smile, sitting down in the seat across from her.

"I was thinking of the two smaller bedrooms on the second floor. The larger bedroom is being used by the kids now when they spend the night, so that room has to stay available. Of the smaller rooms, I would like one to be pink and look very princess-like for my Princess Leah. I would like the other small bedroom to look like it's straight out of the Wild, Wild West, and all cowboy-style for my little man." I see Esme's smile get bigger as I talk. "I would like to leave the biggest wall space in each room plain, painted just the main background color, but decorate the other three walls. Bella will more than likely want to paint a mural for each of them. She's so fucking great at it, and I know she enjoys it. I will need new beds, bedding, matching furniture, and the whole nine yards. Could you help me shop also? I'd like to get them clothes so that they only need to bring themselves when they stay on the weekends. Oh, and of course we'll need games, toys, and other entertainment in their rooms, too. I think having a desk is important for each of them also. I know that you are great at decorating, and cost is not an issue. Do you think you can help me? Oh, and I would like to get Bella some things as well. I just need a second opinion. I don't want to get something she doesn't feel comfortable wearing."

I hear Esme chuckle and I look at her, worried that she is laughing at me. "I'm sorry, Sweetie. I just love seeing you so happy. This is the happiest I think I've ever seen you. I can do all of this with no problem. Is this to be a surprise for Bella, too?"

I nod my head at her. "Yes; it's a part of my Christmas present to them. I'm going get books for them also and I was thinking about getting them bikes and having those be from Santa."

Again Esme smiles at me. "Are you sure Bella will be okay with all that?"

I look at Esme and know she's only looking out for Bella. "Yeah, she already knows about the books. As for the room, I want to make them feel at home when they at my place, and she'll be happy if they are."

She nods in agreement with me. "What about the bikes from Santa?"

I frown as I look at her, knowing this is the hard part. "That won't be a problem as long as she thinks they're from Santa." Esme just looks at me like I have lost my mind. "Esme, she thinks Santa is real. Please don't tell her otherwise. I know that I shouldn't keep things from her, but if you would have seen her face when she talked about Santa...she needs to believe in him, in something good."

Esme shakes her head, still looking at me. I run through Bella's story again, and watch Esme as she wipes away her tears. "That poor girl; of course I won't say anything, and I will make sure the others are aware of it, too. Would you mind if Carlisle and I drop in just for a little while on Christmas day?"

I smile at her, pleased that she has asked. "I'm sure they would love that."

She smiles and pats my arm. "We bought laptops for Seth and Leah, and we got Bella an art table for her drawings. I won't say anything to Alice or Rose about Santa; I don't think they would keep their mouths shut. I really don't know where I have gone wrong with Rose. The things she said on Thanksgiving...would make my sister turn in her grave."

I give her a half-smile and stand. "I better get them home for dinner. Thank you for keeping a watch over them for us." Esme smiles again, and I think it was more because I referred to Bella and I as 'us'.

"It was no problem, really. They're great. Bella has done a great job raising them. I'm so pleased that this is the woman that you have chosen, and she was definitely worth the wait. Carlisle and I will gladly keep an eye on them anytime." I nod again, acknowledging what she's just said. "And Edward, I will start on the rooms Monday. What time would you like me there?"

I smile at her, so happy she is helping me. "First thing, if possible, Bella will be working mainly at Midnight Sun this week. I received a letter today saying that I have five major critics coming in on Friday for dinner."

Esme jumps out of her chair and hugs me. "Well done, Edward! You really deserve this after all of the hard work that you have put into that place. I am proud of you. I'm so delighted it's finally being noticed. You deserve so much happiness in life; it's good to see you finally getting some."

I go back out, noticing that Bella, Seth, and Leah are ready to go. I say goodbye and wave as we leave, heading home. Bella and I bring the gifts inside after Seth and Leah have fallen asleep. We put it all in the junk room because it has a lock, not that a lock is needed. The twins never go into a room without be told that they can, and I'm sure a part of that is from not being allowed in a certain room as they were growing up.

I change into my pajama bottoms as Bella lays out everyone's church clothes for the morning. When I'm done, I walk into the kitchen and find her cleaning. "Baby, I got this. Why don't you go get ready for bed?"

"Okay, I'll be right back," she says with a slight smile. I can tell that she feels shy, so before she can leave the room, I pull her to me. "Hurry back; I'll miss you." She gives me a big smile and kisses me lightly before leaving the room. I slip down to the laundry room and grab my clean pajama pants. Using the restroom off the gym, I brush my teeth and pull on the clean pair of pajama pants instead of the ones I had in my room.

Back in the kitchen, I set about cleaning up a little bit. I put the last dish in the dishwasher and start it, and when I turn around, Bella is standing there in the cutest little tank top and matching short shorts. They cover her completely, but are very lacy, and there is no doubt that she has gained some curves over the past several weeks of eating better. I can see the way her eyes are trained on my bare chest, so I smirk and flex a little for her. I smile at her and wiggle my eyebrows, and she finally speaks.

"Edward..." she says in a raspy voice. "I...um, I would've helped you clean up. The mess was ours, too."

"No, Baby, I did it because I wanted to. I also thought we could watch a movie, but now...well, now I would rather take you to bed and teach you a little more about pleasure," I say with a husky voice as I make my way to her.

She nods her head at me and jumps into my arms, kissing me deeply. I flick off the lights and check the alarm before I carry Bella to our bed and lay her on it. I move to lie beside her, and pull her close to my body.

"Remember Baby, tell me what you want and need. If I do anything wrong..." I stop talking to kiss her, because I can't resist. "I will always stop; you just need to tell me." I look in her eyes as I speak, and she nods her head as she lifts it, bringing her lips to mine.

With my left arm under her head and the hand curved to caress her back, I thread the fingers of my right hand into the hair at the base of her neck. Deepening the kiss, she moans into my mouth and her left leg hitches over my hip. Her right hand is in my hair, and her left hand is trailing across my bare chest. I am far from being perfectly defined, but her fingers are tracing the crests and plateaus of my muscles. I can feel the heat from her center as it is positioned mere centimeters from my hard length.

"Edward, your skin is so soft," she gasps as I move my mouth to her neck.

"Baby, my skin is not as soft as yours."

"How do you know? You're not touching me."

Pulling back, I look her in the eyes. "Bella, I want to touch you, but I don't want to push you."

Bella pushes her mouth back to mine. Running her hand down the length of my arm, she traces it to my hand. Once she has my hand in hers, she pulls it from her hair and down her neck. With her hand guiding mine, my palm moves over her collar bone and onto her breast. As my palm meets her nipple, she arches her back, causing her heated center to grind against my hard cock.

"Oh, Baby, you are so soft," I say right before crashing my lips over hers. I roll slightly more to my back, and pull her onto my body. With my right hand still covering her breast, I move my left hand to her other breast. When she moans out at my touch, I thrust my tongue into her mouth. Her wet little pink tongue pops back at me, and I suck on the tip of it as I grind my hips up into her center. As I pinch and tease her hard nipples, her fingers do the same to me. The tender way she touches me, I can only describe as amorous. She rolls onto her back and pulls me with her.

"Baby, I don't want to push you..." My words are cut off by her mouth reaching up and attaching to mine. Her legs are spread and I am resting most of my weight on her now. I break the kiss and pull back so I can see her face. Her lips are puffy from the aggressive kisses we've shared, and her eyes are full of her bashful desire.

"Baby, I want to make you feel good. Can I touch you?" She nods, but I stop the movement. "No, my love, I need to hear you tell me what you want."

"I want you to make me feel like I did last night. I want you to touch me, and I want...I want to make you feel good, too," she says with her voice fading out at the end.

"Baby, I feel good just holding you close to me. I want to show you the world, and give it to you, as well. I will show you how to please me, but for now let's just worry about the pleasure I can bring you..."

"You...don't, um, want...my...my touches?"

Hearing her doubt herself is like a cold splash of water down my spine. I grab her hands; put them on my chest and roll, pulling her back on top of me. "Baby, I always want to feel you touching me. I, however, need to do this right, and make sure that I take my time. I need to go slow with you. I love your kisses, and I want you in every single way possible; I just want to savor every second I have with you, and not push too fast or too hard. Baby, you have no experience, and I want to be the man who shows it all to you, and gives you everything. I want each and every moment we share intimately to be mind-blowing and perfect for you."

"Perfect to me, would be having you show me how to make you wet like you make me."

I groan out loud and pull her lips back to mine. With her straddling me, I use my hands to rotate her hips. Grinding her hot, wet center into my manhood with each move makes us both pant. "Baby, you feel so good. The way that my cock is rubbing between your lips is going to make me cum. Does this feel good to you, Baby?"

"Ye...yes, Edward. This feels...so, um, so good, Edward." She presses down harder, so I roll us over and start thrusting my hips against hers. Her moans get louder and her panting increases. Watching her come undone beneath me, and feeling her wetness soak into the front of my pajama bottoms, sends me over the edge like a teenage virgin. I kiss her for several minutes as we both come down from our ecstasy-driven high.

I feel the cum in my pants cooling and becoming sticky. I know I need to clean us both up. "Baby, come into the bathroom with me; I need to clean up and so do you." I move to stand, and offering her my hand, I help her up, too. I grab two clean pairs of boxers from my dresser drawer, and pull her to the bathroom. Putting some towels on the warming rack, I reach in and turn on the shower. "Go ahead and rinse off baby. When you get out, you can put on a pair of these. I will get you a shirt."

"Edward...will you rinse off with me?"

With a growl, I pull her into my arms and kiss her hard on the mouth. "You want to shower with me, Baby?"

"Yes," she says shyly, yet her eyes never leave mine.

Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, I slowly lift it over her head. I bite my tongue to keep from gasping at the sight of her perfect breasts. Her index fingers are in the waistband of my sleep pants, and she is tracing back and forth across my hips bones. Placing my hands over hers, I help her remove my lightweight but wet sleep pants. I watch her face for any sign of fear, and see nothing but her normal flush. Once we are both standing before each other naked, I open the glass door. Holding her hand, I step in and bring her with me. With her back to my chest, I slowly turn us to get us both wet under all the jets. Grabbing her bottle of body wash that now stays in my shower; I squeeze a good amount on the washcloth and lather up the foam. I wash her back and down her arms. With a sigh, her hand directs me to wash the rest of her body as well. After helping her rinse off, I hand her the washcloth and smile when she grabs my body wash. I watch as she sniffs the aroma when she opens the lid. The smile that spreads across her face makes my smile even bigger. I moan as her hands stroke across my skin, leaving a trail of soapy suds. I watch her eyes as she cleans my upper body, and I help her when it comes to moving below my navel. With my hand over hers, I guide her to clean below my waist. Once clean, I rinse my body and turn off the water. Grabbing the warm towels from the rack, I wrap one around Bella, and then wrap one around my waist. After helping her dry off, I hold open a pair of my boxers and she steps in. I roll the waist for her, and she takes the button up shirt from the hook on the back of the door and puts it on. After she buttons it, she pulls the front up to sniff the shirt. I pull the other pair of boxers on, and then walk over to her and pick her up. Turning off the light, I take my girl and head back to bed.

I wake up early and just watch Bella sleep for a while. I know that she needs to get up soon so we can get ready for church, but decide to let her sleep for as long as possible. I smile as I watch her. Wanting to make her breakfast in bed, I head downstairs. On the second floor, I hear Seth and Leah talking quietly in their room. I knock on their door, and after hearing a soft 'come in', I open it.

"Good morning. Would you two like to come help me make breakfast?" They both nod their heads, and I walk down to the kitchen with them following me. "Bella is still asleep, so I thought I could...well, now we, could make her breakfast in bed. Would you two like to help me?" They both nod their heads enthusiastically. "Great! Let's get cracking, then." I pull out the ingredients to make pancakes and grab some sausages from the fridge. After I start the sausages cooking in the skillet, I help Seth and Leah make the pancake batter. Every now and again, I see Seth and Leah whisper to each other while looking at me, so I know they have something on their minds, "Okay, you two, out with it."

They both look at me, so I hold their gaze. "Well, if we say something, you won't tell Bella, will you?"

I frown, looking between them. "I can't promise that, if it is something she needs to know."

Seth and Leah look at me wide-eyed, shaking their heads. "We like you, Edward," Seth says with a smile.

"Yeah, you make Bella really happy," Leah pipes up.

I smile back at them, happy that they like me, but notice how they still are looking at each other. "You do know kissing girls is yucky and it gives you cooties, right?" I shake my head at Seth, chuckling a little.

"I think your Bella's prince, because you're so nice, just like in all the fairytales."

Seth looks at Leah and rolls his eyes at her calling me Bella's prince. "But, Edward, if you make OUR SISTER sad, I'll get Leah to kick you in the potty place like she did to John."

I freeze, just staring at them both. "That is what you can't tell Bella. She doesn't like us hitting people," Leah says, giving me her cute face.

I shake my head. "I won't tell, but come over and sit down with me for a minute." I walk to the table and they both move slowly toward me. "You're not in any trouble, so come and sit." Once I reassure them, they come and sit down, biting their lips. Now I know where Bella gets it, or maybe they get it from her. "I love Bella very, very much. She is very important to me, as are both of you." They both just look at me, so I smile. "I know that I haven't said this to you two, but I love you both very much, too. I want you to know that I understand what you just told me, and don't worry, this will stay between us."

They both nod their heads. "We love you, too, Edward," Leah says, standing and giving me a hug.

"God Leah; now I have to hug him," Seth whines, standing and hugging me, too. He leans into my ear and whispers. "I love you, too, Edward; just don't tell the girls I said that."

I chuckle, giving him a wink. "Come on; let's get this upstairs to Bella before she wakes up." They jump up, and Leah grabs the flowers while Seth gets the orange juice. I take the tray with Bella's breakfast, and together, we make our way up to her.

I knock on the door, and Leah opens it for me. We move to the bed, watching as Bella starts to wake up. She turns her head, looking at us. "What's all this?"

We smile at her. "We made you breakfast in bed," Leah says as she sets the flowers down and gives Bella a hug.

"I poured the juice," Seth says, setting it down next to the flowers before Bella pulls him in for a hug.

"And they helped me make you this," I say, putting the tray down on the bed.

I sit next to her as she looks at the tray and then at me, and leans in to give me a kiss. "God, can you kiss her when I'm not in the room?" Seth whines.

I chuckle as Bella's face gets red. "Can we turn on your TV after we eat our breakfast, Edward?"

I smile and nod my head towards Leah, "Of course, Princess. I want you to treat my home like your own when you're here, all of you." Seth and Leah smile before walking out together.

"Thank you, Edward. You didn't need to do this for me."

I lay down next to her. "I know, but I wanted to."

She blushes and kisses me again. "Are you coming with us to church today?"

I nod my head, stealing a piece of sausage. "Yep, but I need to work at Midnight Sun for an hour or so, too. I thought that you guys could come with me and have lunch while I work. You could even sit in the office with me." I look at her, pleading with my eyes.

"Edward, we can go back to the apartment. It's okay; we understand that you need to work."

I shake my head at her. "Baby, I do have to work, but I would like you there with me. I guess if you don't want to, I could pick you back up after I'm done, though. Please say you're coming with me?"

She chuckles at my sad pout, and kisses me again. "We'll come with you."

I smile and kiss her deeply. "Thank you, Baby."

I watch Bella eat, and she feeds me, too. I can't remember ever enjoying a breakfast as much as this one. Once she is done eating, I take her plate back down to the kitchen as she washes up. "Seth, Leah, you need to get washed up and dressed for church now," I say, walking past the living room. They nod their heads before going up the stairs.

The rest of the day goes by quickly. I speak to Zafrina and tell her my plan for Christmas, and she's happy with it. I was worried that she would feel that I was taking over something she did, but she was happy with the idea of Seth and Leah having their own bikes.

**~HCV~**

My college classes have gone by pretty fast today. I'm staying here late, working on grading some papers, so that I can see my baby girl and drive her home when she gets off. Taylor told me the meeting went well, and everyone knows what they will be doing. I hear my door open, and I look up as Gina walks in, swinging her hips. Fuck, I don't need this!

"What do you want?" I ask snidely as she sits on the table in front of me and opens her legs. I close my eyes at her disgusting behavior.

"I'm having another party; you should come. You can even bring that trailer trash cleaning tramp with you. I have a friend that loves popping girl's cherries. You know him, Paul, from the club. He's been dying to get his hands on her for a while now."

In the time that Gina has said this, I have stood up and am now right in her face. "If he so much as thinks about her, I will kill him. As for you, I'm sure Aro will be happy to deal with you."

She moves back from me, but still doesn't give up. "Come on Edward; she is trash. You certainly are not having sex with her. She is just a stupid little trampy girl. I know that you will love what I can do. I like the rough, hard stuff. I can take anything you give me. Paul fucks me hard for hours, and sometimes his friends join in. We could have a lot of fun if we could get your monster cock involved. Come on, Eddie, whatcha say? Can Gina have a big helping of your cock? You know I want you to fuck me in every place you can," she purrs in a voice I am sure she thinks is sexy. To me, she sounds like a screeching banshee mixed with nails running down a chalkboard.

I pull on her arm and march her to the classroom door. "Well then, go and see Paul, and stay the fuck away from me. Oh, and one more thing: stay away from my girl. Bella has nothing to do with you. Don't you fucking touch her, or I will personally rearrange your face."

Gina pulls her arm from mine. "What the fuck has gotten into you? You sound like you're in love with the little trashy tramp."

I step forward, making her take a large step back. "I love Bella with every part of my heart and soul. Stay the fuck away from her you disease-ridden skanky whore!"

For a spilt second, I feel bad as I see the fear in Gina's eyes, but then she opens her mouth. "Fuck you, Edward! You and your little..." She stops and chuckles loudly, adding a snort to the end. "No, never mind, scratch that! You'll never get fucked again, not with that dumb bitch!" she shrieks and storms away from me. Gina wisely stays away from me for the rest of the week.

It's Friday, and I'm at Midnight Sun, which is packed. Of course this would happen on the same day we have the critics coming. A little after six o'clock, five men and one lady walk in; I know it's game time. Sammy shows them to their table and hands them menus. I take a deep breath and make my way there.

"Good evening. My name is Edward, and I will be your sever tonight." I put on my best smile, which is easy; all I need to do is think about Bella. They order. They're here for over two hours, and everything goes really well. They all seem to enjoy their time here.

I look at the time, seeing that it is just a little before ten. Fuck, I miss my baby so much. We normally spend our Friday nights together. Actually, I have hardly worked at the restaurant at all lately. I've just done the necessary paperwork and a few other things that needed to be taken care of. Taylor has done a fantastic job running the place, and I'm proud of the team I have heading the day-to-day operations and procedures.

On Fridays, I normally pick Bella up after collecting the kids from Zafrina, but tonight she is taking the bus home after work at UW. I'm staying at her place tonight; thank goodness for the pull-out sofa. I have never stayed over at her apartment before, so this will be new for me. Bella didn't want to take Seth and Leah out at this time of night, so I agreed to stay with her there. I could care less where we stay, honestly, as long as we are together. We had decided just to stay there, and planned to make our way to my place on Saturday.

I feel a chill as the front door opens. Fuck, it's really coming down out there. It's been snowing non-stop all day. I hear the song stop on the small radio in the kitchen, and the tone for a weather alert plays.

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news. A blizzard warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the following cities," I hear. I listen as several cities are named, and of course Seattle is mentioned. "This storm is expected to bring high winds, blowing and blinding snow, white-out conditions, and sleet; with the wind chill, temperatures could drop to fifteen below. There is an additional storm moving in that will drop another estimated six to ten inches of snow. Travel is not suggested, and some major highways have already been shut down. There are possible power losses..." but at this point I have heard enough.

I need to get my crew home, so they are safe when the storm hits. I look to Taylor, and then check my watch, seeing that is ten past ten. I walk back out front and stand on a chair by the bar.

"Hello everyone, may I please have your attention? There has been a blizzard warning issued for the area, and travel is not recommended. In order for your safety, and the safety of my staff, I ask everyone to pick up your belongings and make your way home." Everyone just looks at me. "I am sorry folks, but I need to make sure my employees get to their homes safely. There will be no charge for you meals. Please collect your things, and stay safe going home." At that, everyone starts to leave.

My cell phone vibrates in my pocket, and when I remove it, I see that it's Zafrina calling, so I jump down from the chair. "Hello Zafrina, tell her not to panic; I am on my way right now." I make my way to my office to grab my jacket as I talk. Taylor is getting the rest of the staff together, and they're collecting their jackets, as well.

"Edward, she's not with you? She hasn't come home yet. She...she's never this late." I stop in my tracks.

"What the fuck do you mean? She isn't there? She's not home yet? Have you called her?"

I hear Zafrina talking to Seth and Leah. "Yes, of course I called her first, Edward. When she didn't answer, I called the college and talked to Stephen; he said that she left at nine, and that she was last to leave. He found her in Gina's office, and told her about the storm. He said he told her it would be best if she went home immediately. He said she left about ten minutes later, around nine o'clock. He mentioned that she told him she was taking the bus."

I start to feel panic setting in. "I called the bus company to find out if the bus had been delayed, and was told that all busses were canceled because of the road conditions." I hear Zafrina let out a sigh. "I know you are going to go look for her, so just call me and keep me informed." I hang up the phone, call the bus company, and get an automated message. I listen, hearing that all buses were cancelled as of 8:30pm. Fuck! That means she's walking home in this! I lock up and call Bella's phone again. After four rings, it goes to voice mail.

"Baby, it's me; I'm on my way, okay? I'm on my way." Fuck, please let her be okay! I can't lose her now. I drive dangerously fast toward the campus, but when I get to the bus stop, she's not there. I start driving the way I know she used to walk. I stop at the park, noticing that the snow fall has just about doubled since four this afternoon. I get out, go to the trunk to grab my flashlight, and run into the park. "Bella Baby, where are you?" I shout out. Fuck, I feel a panic attack coming on. "Baby, it's Edward. Call out to me if you can hear me!" I try to walk as fast as I can, shining the light all around me. I am trying to take everything in. Visibility is really fucking bad, even in the park. It's so damn cold that I'm shivering, but I keep moving, searching for her. I grab my cell from my pocket and call her again.

Ring...Ring...I can hear the phone in the distance. I hang up and redial the number. Ring...Ring...

Fuck, she's here, and I run toward the ringing. As I move nearer to the ringing, I see a lump on the ground. Please God, no! I slip on the ice covered ground just as I reach her, but manage to stop myself from falling.

"Bella Baby, I'm here," I say, turning her around. I can see that she is out cold, and there is a large gash on her head by her hairline. Fuck...fuck! "Baby, I'm here; I'm here," I say as I push her very wet hair from her face. I look her over, noticing that her whole body seems to be wet, too wet; a lot wetter than it should be. "I need to get you to Carlisle, Baby. He'll make you better." I pick her up and carefully make my way back to my car.

Please God! Please don't take her from me. I chant the same thing over and over in my head all the way to the car.

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><p><strong>AN: I can imagine that the ending is not what you were looking for, but the next chapter is written it is with the final beta before posting already and we will post on time. I have a question for you... Throughout this whole story this chapter holds my favorite line – What has your favorite line for the life of the story been? I will share with you my favorite line and Nikky's in our review reply, along with a really good teaser. Next chapter is titled: Illness and Surprises. See you all next Thursday, Kasi & (Nikky.)**


	21. Chapter 21

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Jessie, MustangMel, Julie, and Sunflower3759...who read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**We also want to acknowledge Melinda and all she has done, she is no longer able to assist us with this story because of real life things going on. Thanks for all you've done and we wish you the best. Kasi & Nikky.**

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**TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction**

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 21: Illness and Surprises**

I carry Bella back to my car quickly, opening her door to sit her down in her seat and strap her in as best I can. "Baby, you're in my car. I'm going to get you to Carlisle." I kiss her head before closing her door, and running around to my side. I start driving without even waiting long enough to put on my seat belt. I switch the heater to high. "Baby, I got the heat on for you, okay? We'll be there very soon, I promise." Please God, let us get there soon! I fiddle with my cell, getting the hands-free turned on so I can call Carlisle.

"Hello, Edward," I hear Carlisle's cheerful voice come across the speaker.

"Can you get to the hospital right away? It's Bella; she is hurt. I found her in the park where she's been lying in the fucking snow unconscious for about an hour. She has a head wound." I try to calm my voice; the last thing I need to do right now is panic or breakdown.

"Edward, I'm on my way back to the hospital now. I just left there a few minutes ago, so I should make it back there before you do. I'll be outside with a team ready for you when you get there. Drive safely, Son." Carlisle disconnects the call, not waiting for me to reply.

"Baby, we're almost there. Come on Baby, I need you to wake up for me." I stroke her face while driving around the fucking cars that are in front of me. These people are idiots! They are driving like old people screw: slow and sloppy. I have broken countless driving laws, yet I am driving better than anyone else out here. I'm sure I've been caught on nearly every single speed camera there is, but I don't give a shit. I sigh out in relief as I arrive at the hospital. I pull up in front of the emergency room doors, and see Carlisle already there and waiting for us. I skid to a stop as he waves to the door, and opens Bella's door with his other hand. He scoops her up, turns around, and places her on an awaiting gurney. I jump out and catch up to him.

"Hey, you can't park there!" I hear.

Turning around, I see the security officer glaring daggers at me, so I throw him my keys. "Then move it," I snap.

He catches my keys and looks at me with indignation. "I am not here to be your valet Sir."

I turn back and glare at him. "Then call and have it fucking towed! I don't give a shit right now. My girl is...fuck!"

I feel Carlisle tug on my arm. "Mitch, can you please park the car for me? She is in a critical condition," he explains, motioning to Bella. Mitch looks at Carlisle, and then to me, and his face pales but he nods his head. I feel the air leave my body in a rush. Bella is in critical condition! "Edward, I need you to calm down and come with me." Without another word, Carlisle pulls me along with him and enters the trauma room. I see them removing Bella's clothes. "Edward, do you know why her clothes are soaking wet? They're even wet under her coat. There is no way this all occurred from her lying in the snow." I shake my head at him because I have no idea, and then stand back and watch them work on her.

"Body temp is seventy-four degrees, blood pressure seventy-eight over forty-six. Heart rate is thirty-six, oxygen at sixty-five percent."

Fuck, I'm no doctor, but I know those are all way too fucking low.

"Edward, you should step out okay? We are going to do all that we can for her." I feel Carlisle's hand on my arm.

"She can't...please, she can't die; they have no one. They'll be so fucking lost without her. I'll be lost...I can't lose her." He nods his head.

"Please Edward; it's going to get busy in here, so you're going to need to step out now."

I don't know how I got to this seat, or how long I have been sitting here with my head in my hands. I feel as if I am standing still while the outside world is moving around me in a flash; unable to see or hear any of it. I am trapped in a bubble again, only Bella's not with me this time. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I look up to see Esme standing over me. The noise from the crowded hallway and all the ongoing activities, overwhelm me at once. I feel like everything inside of me has all exploded simultaneously. I pull her into a hard hug, holding her tight and crying on her shoulder.

"She can't die Esme, I just found her; please, she can't. Those kids can't lose the only person they've ever had. I don't know what to do. I feel so lost. I should have gone to get her as soon as I saw the snow. This is entirely my fault. I...fuck! What am I going to do? How do I live without her? I honestly don't think I can. In fact, I know I can't Esme. I've already lost so much, I can't lose her too. Please tell me she'll be okay."

I feel her rub my back in a soothing manner. "Hush now Edward. It is not your fault. Bella is a very strong young woman, and she will make it through this. I know she will, and so do you. She will fight for those she loves."

I pull away from our embrace and nod my head. As I look at her, I can tell she sees the panic rising in my body. "Shit!"

"What is it, Edward? What is wrong?"

I shake my head, pulling at my hair with both hands. How could I...I just forgot to call them? "I didn't call Zafrina back. Fuck! Seth and Leah will so be worried! How do I tell them about...this?" I wave my hand around in the space in front of me, because I can't even finish my sentence.

"I dropped in on them on my way here. I only said that you found her, and that she had banged her head. I didn't think the children needed to know everything right away. Edward, don't fret. Bella is going to be okay; she is a fighter." I look at Esme and see that she trying to stay strong for me. I pull her back in for another hug trying to draw in some of her strength.

Esme continues to rub my back as I sit with my head in my hands. I fucking hate waiting! I feel like I have been here for days, or even months. When Esme tightens her grip on my arm, I sit up and look at her; noticing that she is looking behind me. Quickly, I turn my head to see Carlisle coming our way.

When he approaches us, he bends down in front of me. "She is stabilizing Edward." As soon as he says that, I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. "First of all, Bella has severe hypothermia. She also has a slight concussion. The head wound will leave her with a rather nasty bruise, but we don't foresee any additional problems because of it. I have started her on an aggressive treatment to correct the hypothermia. We are rewarming her body, but it will be quite a slow process. To rewarm her blood, we are drawing it out through an IV, warming it gradually, and then recirculating into her body. We've also increased the temperature setting of the humidifier so that the oxygen she is receiving is warmer then we usually administer it at. I've also got warm intravenous fluids running into her, which will prevent her body from dehydrating during this process. I nod my head at him; even though I don't understand it all, I trust he is doing all he can. "Her body has been responding well so far. She has been taken to the intensive care unit. I'm here to take you there now. If they ask, you are her fiancé." We all stand up and begin to follow behind Carlisle. "Her head injury is not bad. She shouldn't have any problems with it. I ordered a full CT of her head, and it only shows a minor concussion as I mentioned before." We walk up to the main doors of the ICU, and I take a deep breath as we enter. Carlisle stops by the unit desk and signs us in, and then we make our way down the hall. I notice that Bella's room is right by the large nurses' station, and when I look inside, I see her with tubes and wires all over her.

"Can you call Zafrina and let her know how Bella is?" They nod their heads at me as I walk in to my baby's room. I pull the seat closer, wiping away the tears on my face. I try to clear my throat as I look at her, but it doesn't help much. My face is overcome with tears once again. I take her hand gently in one of mine, and brush her face softly with the other. "Baby, you have got to get better; I can't lose you now. Please wake up soon. I need you. Seth and Leah need you," I beg through a tirade of sobs and tears. "I am sorry that I did not come and get you. Who cares about the damn critics? I should have been there to pick you up."

I sit here with her all night, whispering my love for her and telling her how much she has changed my life. By morning, her observations are still a little lower than normal, but much better than what they were before. Because she is improving, they have taken her off most of the medical equipment. I hear a moan that pulls me from my thoughts, and look up at Bella to see her eyes fluttering.

"Carlisle, she is waking up," I say loud enough to get his attention without looking away, keeping my eyes only on my baby. "That's it Baby, come on; wake up. Let me see your pretty eyes." Her head turns toward me as her eyes flutter open again. Slowly, her hand goes to her head, and she scrunches up her face. It looks like she is in pain and her eyes close again.

"Bella, it's Carlisle. Can you hear me?" She nods her head a little and goes to grab at the mask still attached to her face, but Carlisle stops her. "Little One, you need to keep that on for now. I'm sorry; I know it is uncomfortable." Her hand drops down and she turns back to look at me. She blinks slowly, and when she opens her eyes and looks into mine, she frowns while I try to smile at her.

"Iah lowuff woo." I chuckle, relieved to hear her voice even if it's muffled, and I am able to make out each word she says.

"I fucking love you, too." I bend down, giving her a kiss on her forehead. I hear the monitor beeping loudly as her heart rate accelerates, which makes her blush and her temperature rise.

"I wish I knew that last night. I could've used him to get your body reacting so it would warm up," Carlisle says, making Bella turn redder. "Hey, look at that; another two degrees and you'll be in the fully functioning, normal range." I shake my head and squeeze her hand. As a nurse and another doctor come in, I reluctantly move out the way and watch as they run several tests on her. I frown as I hear her coughing throughout the entire exam.

Carlisle winks at Bella and walks over to me. "We think she has a mild case of pneumonia. I will start her on some intravenous antibiotics, and have ordered a few other treatments for her, as well. I need her to stay here for another day though. If all goes well and she responds to these new medications, I'll move her to a normal room soon." I nod my head at him and make my way back over to her, noticing that they switched out her facemask for a nose cannula.

"Hey Baby, I missed you." I look at her and I'm pleased that she seems more with it and awake now.

"I...missed you...but where...Seth...and Leah? Are they...okay? Are...they with...Zafrina...Esme?" she asks through bouts of coughing.

I try shushing her when I hear her heart rate go back up. "Hush now Baby; they're okay. They are with both Zafrina and Esme. Carlisle is going to call them to let them know you're awake, okay? We told Seth and Leah that you fell and banged your head. They know that Carlisle is acting as your doctor and that I am here with you." As I speak, she starts to calm down and her breathing evens out a little.

"I'm...am I going to...lose them?"

I shake my head at her. "Of course not Baby. You're not going to lose them, I promise. You got hurt; this was an accident, and they are being cared for while you're here. You gave us all quite a scare." I try to choke back my sobs as I drop to the seat, leaning my head into her side. "I thought...I thought I was going to lose you. Please don't ever do that again. I can't live without you." Bella's hand comes up to my face, and as I turn to look at her, I see that she has tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry...so sorry; please don't cry." She rubs my face as she speaks.

I close my eyes and try to calm myself. "Hush Baby, it's okay; you're okay. I do want to know why you were walking though. You could've called me. I would've come to get you." I frown as I look at her, suddenly remembering her wet clothes. "And why were your clothes so wet?"

Bella looks down and a tear runs down her face. I wipe it away as she begins coughing. "You'll be mad...please. Don't...won't help...getting mad..."

I look at her and see the fear in her eyes. "Baby, I don't want you to be afraid of me. I will never get so mad at you that I leave again, okay? I told you, just talk to me; you can tell me anything."

She closes her eyes and shakes her head while coughing again. "No...I mean Gina."

As I look at her it hits me. Zafrina said that Bella was seen in the bitch's office. "What did she do?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm, but not managing to do so. Bella frowns and rubs my face softly. She tries to sit up but she starts coughing again. I put my arms behind her to fix her pillows, and then I raise the back of the bed and help her get situated. Once she seems to be comfortable, I take the glass of water from her tray so she could take a sip, and then sit next to her on the bed. "Better?" Bella nods her head.

I notice that now that she is sitting up better and has taken a drink, some of her color has returned.

"I had just finished with Mr. Brophi's office and was walking back in to her office. Stephen came in to tell me about the storm. He asked if he should call you because your car wasn't outside, but I told him that you had a big day at Midnight Sun, and that I was catching the bus home." She stops talking as she begins coughing again; but after taking a sip, she smiles.

"He smiled and said to tell you congratulations. He was just leaving the office when Gina came back in. She had her mean face on when she looked at me. I was locking Mr. Brophi's office up, and she said that she left something inside there and she needed me to open it for her. I told her that Mr. Brophi said no one except me was allowed in there without him being there, and that I was not allowed to give anyone the key or let them in. He really told me that Gina was not allowed in no matter what she said if he wasn't there, but I was trying to be nice so I didn't tell her that. She was mad at me and kept shouting, and then she grabbed my arm hard and went to slap me."

I growl and Bella looks at me wide-eyed, giving me a pleading look. I sigh and nod my head, stroking her hair to try and keep myself calm. I grab the water glass again as Bella hacks out more coughs. After she takes a drink, I put her cup back and watch her take a deep breath. "She pulled hard on my arm, ripping my uniform. I told her no again and yanked my arm away from her. I walked around her to leave, but she called my name. She has never done that before, so I turned to her. She said," Bella stops and sniffs, then coughs a few more times. I know she's trying fucking hard not to cry. It still fucking gets to me that she doesn't cry; I mean, everyone needs to cry once in a while.

"She said, 'he's only after the cherry pop. Once he gets that, he'll be mine again. You're nothing more than a low class...' and then she called me a dirty, mean, horrible name; the same one you called her before," Bella stops and scrunches her face, and I know exactly what word she is talking about. "'I'll have him back like I did before. I will have him every day in his office, right on his desk while we laugh at you. You're nothing more than a pathetic little girl.'"

Again I feel a growl rumble out from my chest. "I didn't believe her; I don't believe her. I know you would never do that with her." I let out a breath, silently thanking God that Bella is sure of that fact. "I told her that we loved each other and that we would be together forever. I also told her that I don't like cherries, so you popping them wouldn't be a problem. She just laughed at me, so I did something mean; I told her she was a sad, lonely female dog, but I said the right word for it. I also told her she would always be on the outside looking in at other couples, wanting what they had. I told her that until she finds happiness within herself, she will never find the right person for her. She looked so mad at me, and the next thing I knew, she had thrown the vase with flowers at me. It hit the wall and the water splashed all over me. She then ordered me to clean up, so I did.

"By the time I got to the bus stop, the bus had already left, and the board changed to say all the same word. It took a few minutes, but I was finally able to read it; it said 'cancelled' by every route. I tried to call Jasper and Emmett because I didn't want to interrupt your special night, but my phone wouldn't call out. It was wet and I couldn't get it to work. I thought I could just walk fast, but it was so cold out. I slipped and fell, and my head hit the ground pretty hard. I tried to get up, but I don't remember anything after that. I just woke up here with you looking so sad." I kiss her head, trying to push down my anger until I can confront Gina. "Can I...I mean, is that offer to work just for...you still open?" I pull back to look at her as she begins coughing again. I hand her the cup of water and pat her back. "I don't want to go back there anymore. Can I please just work for you? I promise that I will work really hard."

I place my lips on hers to silence her. I chuckle as her heart monitor goes wild, and when I pull away from her, she glares at it. "Baby; I know how hard you work, and I would love for you to work more shifts for me, but you're not working until after the holidays. I will give you sick pay, so don't worry about that." As she opens her mouth to protest, I place my lips on hers and my tongue dips lightly into her mouth. I lean into her more, running my hand through her hair. Unlike the other bubble I always feel like I am in, this one I like; it is just her and me.

Our kiss is interrupted by a slap to my arm, and when I look, I see Carlisle raising an eyebrow at me. "The monitor was going crazy. It caused a bunch of us to come running in here, so you should refrain from kissing her like that until she's off of it."

Bella of course blushes while biting her lip, and I just shake my head. "I'll try not to kiss her like that while she is still hooked up to the monitors." Bella looks between us and pouts, and then bursts into a coughing fit.

"I am here to get your lunch order because you're my favorite patient. I will get you anything you'd like Little One, as long as you eat some soup as well. Once you've eaten, I need to take your vitals again, and then Seth and Leah can come in to see you for a bit." Bella's face lights up as soon as he says that Seth and Leah can come.

"Could I have some tomato soup and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich please?" Carlisle nods his head and Bella starts to speak again, but is interrupted with another round of coughing. I already know what she was going to say to him; she's very transparent sometimes.

"I will have the same please, and could you get us some muffins and chocolate milkshakes for when Seth and Leah come in?"

Carlisle chuckles as Bella nods her head at him, still covering her cough. "I can do that, just don't eat them all Edward." I stick my tongue out at him as he walks away.

**~HCV~**

It's late afternoon and Seth and Leah are on their way here. Bella is just about bouncing in her bed, she misses them so much. Carlisle has already given the okay for both of them, plus Zafrina, Esme, and myself, to all stay in the room for an hour. It sure helps to have the Chief of Staff on your side. When the door finally opens, Seth and Leah run to Bella, both jumping onto the bed to hug her.

"Bella! Are you okay? Are you coming home soon?" They both give her pleading eyes as they question her in unison.

Bella looks sad suddenly, almost broken as she shakes her head. "Sorry," it comes out in a choked sob.

"Seth, Leah; come over here and sit please." They both turn to look at me, and immediately get off the bed, moving to sit in the seats that I am pointing to. "Bella loves you both very much, but she's not well right now. Carlisle says she needs to stay here for a couple of days, but you two can stay with Zafrina, or Esme and Carlisle; anyone you want to stay with, it's your choice. Then when Bella is released from the hospital, you both will be with her at my house."

They both smile at me. "Can we stay with you Edward?" Leah asks, and this time I am on the receiving end of their pleading looks.

I chuckle and nod my head. "If you'd like to, I'd very much like you to stay with me."

"Thank you," they both say as they get up and hug me tightly. I hug them back just as hard before kissing Leah's head and tussling Seth's hair. I face Bella, who is looking right at us, and I give her a smile. She returns it, mouthing 'thank you, I love you,' to me.

I walk over to her and kiss her forehead. "Anytime Baby, and I love you too."

We all sit around chatting and making plans. I can see that even though both Zafrina and Esme have put on strong fronts, they're trying hard to keep themselves together. They both leave with the kids; they're going over to pack up bags for Bella, Leah, and Seth. Esme is then taking Seth and Leah to my place with each of their bags and two for Bella. I asked them to pack two bags for Bella. One is for here in the hospital, which I will bring in tomorrow, and the other one will stay at my house. I plan to keep them there with me for as long as I can.

"Thank you for watching them. Are you sure it will be okay? I don't want you getting into any trouble for me."

I kiss her lips again with a smile, glad that they finally took her off the monitor. "Baby, I want to look after them, and I'm not going to get into any trouble. We're going to make an action plan, so don't worry. Just get better so I can get you home and tucked up into our bed where you belong." She smiles and leans in to kiss me, licking my lip as she does. I smile as I kiss her back, pleased that she is leading things between us occasionally too.

**~HCV~**

I take Seth and Leah to school and explain what happened to Bella. I give the secretary a copy of the court order that names Bella as the legal guardian of the children. I also give them a copy of a letter Emmett typed up, stating that I am the one responsible for the kids until she is out of the hospital. We both signed the document in agreement. While I'm there, I take the time to go over the list of who might come to pick them up. I also ask her to make sure they are not upset or taken from any normal daily routine because of what's going on. I demand that if they do become upset, that she calls me right way. After the bitch in the office makes it seem like it is not a big deal, I allow Assward out to play for a bit. And yeah, he deals with her easy enough! I make it clear that if I find out that Seth and Leah get upset for any reason and she does not follow through by calling me, I will make it my personal mission to have her fired. I try holding back my chuckle when Caius Macari calls out a hello to me as he walks in the door.

"Hello Caius my friend. I will be at the college in say an hour for our meeting. Are you bringing your lovely Athenodora?"

"Why of course Edward. You requested as much, and you should know by now that we would do anything for you. What brings you here today?"

"I am just dropping off the Swan children who are currently in my care. Be...Isabella is currently ill. I see you are still as busy as ever. Don't you have staff to bring the paperwork here for you?" I joke, knowing he always does his own leg work with the principals.

"You know me; I like to keep track of everything going on," he says with a chuckle. I watch him go straight into the other office, and I turn around smiling back at the bitch who has been acting as if I am not worth her time. I watch her swallow nervously at the clear implication that the Superintendent of Schools not only knows me by name, but is seemingly happy to see me. She suddenly changes her tune and is acting as if she will make it her personal mission to be sure that not only are they okay all day, but that she will also be addressing the issue of a kid who has been bullying them as well.

I make it to the college with ten minutes to spare. I head straight for Marcus's office. As I enter, I see Gina at her desk and I have to fight the urge to smack the hell out of her. "Marcus is in a meeting with my parents right now, so you can't go in," she says in her high-handed voice. "How is the trailer trash you're dating?" She moves to step around her desk toward me.

As I go to speak, the door of the office opens. "Edward, come on in; we've been waiting for you." I turn on my heel and walk straight into the office without so much as a sneer at Gina.

"Hello Edward. Have a seat," Marcus says. "I'm surprised by the fact that you requested this meeting. Can you please explain why you have asked to meet with the three of us today?"

I turn and look at Caius and his wife Athenodora. "I asked for this meeting and demanded you be here because it is in regards to your bitch of a daughter."

They both gasp at me while Marcus raises his voice. "Edward, watch your language!"

I look at Marcus and growl. "No; I came here to say what I feel, and that is exactly what I intend to do. I refuse to call her by a proper name because she is not worthy of having anyone call her anything nice at all. I have dealt with her constant sexual innuendos and even her attempt to blackmail me for what I do in my private life. This time however, that no good whore has stepped over the line. This time she has caused someone a lot of physical pain, and that person almost died because of what your daughter did. So do you want to play nice and hear me out, or shall I be a true bastard and just take legal actions immediately?"

I hear another gasp and look toward Athenodora where it came from. "What in the hell did she do now? Please tell us; it is best we hear it from you first Edward."

I sigh, rubbing my face as I take them through Bella's story. Marcus calls to see what was caught on camera, and I sit and watch the story unfold. It is clear that everything that Bella said was word-for-word accurate. I am stunned as Athenodora calls Gina into the office. She walks in with a smirk, but it quickly changes as she sees the TV with her on it, paused at the part after she threw the vase.

"Mommy, Daddy; it's not what it looks like. She...she said some mean things to me and about me. Mommy, she doesn't like me much, and I think she has been sleeping with Bill. She was rubbing it in my face..."

She stops talking as her father laughs. "No Dear. You're the bully here just like when you were in school, but I warned you that I would not stand for this behavior again. YOU. ARE. FIRED!"

Gina looks at her dad and then to her mom. "Mommy, you believe me right?"

Her mom shakes her head sadly. "No Gina, I don't. If it was anyone else in that video with you, I would hear you out, but Isabella...that girl does not lie. I am not sure she is even capable of doing so."

Gina frowns at her mom. "Come on! She is nothing more than trailer trash, and she gets paid under the table. Did Marcus tell you that?" She smirks at Marcus, thinking she has one up on him, but Marcus just chuckles.

"Gina, need I remind you that I deal with all pay checks for all of UW College and campuses? Do you think that I am so bad at my job that I wouldn't notice something like this? No Dear. I am extremely good at my job, and was well aware of her having been paid that way in the past. Just like I also know she does not receive any additional help. I have met the girl more than once, and from what I could gather from each of these meetings, I saw that she is a bright, sweet, beautiful girl. She does not lie, and has only done so when ordered to by an authority figure. Even then, she clearly did not enjoy doing so. What you did to her was based on your own stupidity and jealousy of her and Edward. But mark my words Gina, this time you have pushed the last button you can. From this moment on, your cards, allowance, everything will be taken away. We will no longer pay your rent or any other financial obligation that you incur. When we leave here, you will be handing in your notice at the condo. Your nice things will be auctioned off to pay off your debts. You'll be packing a bag and will be on the first fight to Uncle Santiago and Aunt Renata's. You will be working for them."

Gina faces turns a deadly shade of white and she is shaking her head almost violently. "No! They have a vineyard! I am not working on a smelly, hot, sticky vineyard!"

Caius slams his hand down on Marcus's desk. "Yes you will, now let's go! You've got packing to do. Edward, please forward me all of Miss Swan's medical bills. We will take care of them all. She will also be getting her normal wages payed to her from the college for the entire time she is out sick. Should she choose to not return, she will be given a generous severance package that will set her for a while." At that, they drag a sobbing Gina out of the office. As I look toward Marcus, I hear raised voices outside in the hall – one of them being Charlotte. We walk out quickly to see Charlotte standing there right in Gina's face.

"Fuck! Why is everyone sticking up for her worthless ass? She's just a trailer trash whore who should have died in the snow." I growl menacingly as I step forward, but stop in my tracks as Charlotte punches Gina square in the nose.

"You're lucky your momma is here to send your ass away or you might have ended up in the ground yourself, you worthless piece of life!" Gina looks at her mom and dad for help, but both of them shake their heads at her. Charlotte smiles and blows a kiss my way. "I'm off to the hospital. I just had to stop by and donate my two cents. I am going pick her up some breakfast as well. This is for you. See you later Edward." She turns and walks away after handing me a small sack.

"We should be out of here within the hour. Please tell Isabella I am extremely sorry for my daughter's treatment of her." I nod my head at Athenodora and leave to attend to my class which I am now really late for. Thankfully, I have a decent graduate student, Tia, who makes a wonderful teacher's assistant.

**~HCV~**

The week has gone by quickly. It's Friday, and Bella will be released from the hospital tomorrow. I have missed her so fucking much. I have been going to the hospital three times a day to see her. I go at lunch, and then after I pick up Seth and Leah from school, all three of us go. Once we have dinner, I go back in for a while, leaving the kids with Esme or Zafrina. I love being with the kids, but I enjoy the couple of hours with just the two of us. The others all visit during the day so she is never alone. Even a few of Aro's girls have being going to see her. Jane was pissed off because she didn't get a shot at Gina, but Aro assured her that Gina was dealt with accordingly.

Throughout the week, I have managed to spend a lot of time with Seth and Leah. During one of our talks, we decided to get a real Christmas tree and decorate it for Bella's homecoming. Last night after we visited Bella, we went out and they picked one out. When I picked them up from school yesterday, I got hit on by another kid's mom, who then looked all too shocked or stupefied as Seth and Leah ran into my arms, shouting about going to visit Bella. I have made a mental note to come with Bella to pick them up again, so I can make it clear that I am with her.

Marcus was saddened that Bella had handed in her immediate notice. Even with Gina gone, she still didn't feel comfortable to go back, which pissed me off. Jasper and Bella had their first one-on-one talk, and she seemed happier after it for which I was glad. She told me they spoke about her time working at the college. I was saddened to hear how she had been treated over the years. She also voiced her concerns about Jasper and Alice, as well as Rose and Emmett. She is worrying that she has caused trouble in their marriages. Jasper reassured her that none of it was her doing whatsoever.

Jasper and Alice are back to sharing a bedroom. He said that he was mostly upset by Alice's behavior, and she claims it is from her jealousy of his fondness of Bella. Jasper admitted that both of them are in therapy trying to work it out. As for Emmett and Rose, things are looking bad on that front. Emmett is a very private guy and doesn't like to tell tales outside of his home. Rose, on the other hand, has been bitching to everyone about how bad Emmett has been treating her, while Emmett is trying hard to understand where she is coming from. Unlike Alice, Rose knows that Emmett will never stray from her. I feel that this fact is what upsets Emmett the most. There is no doubt that Rose is just being an outright bitch for no other reason than the fact that she sees Bella as someone beneath her and unworthy of her time or compassion.

Esme is still not on speaking terms with her, mostly due to the fact Rose had told her to choose either Bella and I, or her. This just happened to be right after Carlisle called her to let her know he'd be late due the fact Bella had just been brought into the emergency room. Rose had been there and demanded that Esme stay with her, claiming that she needed to vent some anger over what Emmett has done. Esme nicely told her once again to act like an adult, and left her to go check on the kids and come to the hospital.

I have noticed Esme and Bella have become really close over the past week. On Wednesday night, I walked in on Esme brushing Bella's hair for her. I tried hard to hide the smile on my face when I walked in, but the look on Bella's face was priceless; she had a glow about her. It was so fucking nice to see someone taking care of my baby that way. I have found that even though I am not ready to fully forgive Esme, I have found myself getting closer to her again. In a way, I have really missed her.

Seth, Leah, and I are gathering around the tree, putting different ornaments on it. Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle are putting up lights and other Christmas items on the outside of the house. Esme and Zafrina are at the hospital visiting Bella. I am due to go in after they return here to watch the kids. I am sure that they will finish any last minute 'womanly' touches the place needs, as well. Seth, Leah, and I, are just about done with the tree.

"Well now, it looks like all we have left is to put the angel up on the top. Who would like to do the honors?" I ask, looking at both Seth and Leah.

They look at each other and do their silent communication thing, and I smile to myself as they nod at each other. "We think that Bella should do it tomorrow, when she comes home," Leah says, stopping and biting her lip.

"Leah means when she comes here to your home."

I look at both of them and smile. "This is your home too; at least, I want you to think of it that way. And I think it is a great idea to let Bella put the angel on top of our family tree." They both smile at me. "Okay Leah, what would you like for us to have for dinner tonight?" She stands and taps her finger against her chin, thinking hard for a moment before smiling. "Can we have some pizza like we did the first time we stayed?" I nod my head and we all head into the kitchen. After pulling out the take out menu, we finally decide to order five large pizzas, three orders of garlic bread, two dessert pizzas, and some pop. Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle all come in and eat with us. As I watch, I realize how much Seth and Leah have become very much a part of my family, and I really fucking love it.

After dinner, I send Seth and Leah off to take their baths. When they're done, I help them get into their pajamas and then read them a bedtime story. With a hug and a kiss, they are both tucked in and ready to go to sleep. Before leaving their room, I tell them that Carlisle and Esme will watch them until I get back.

I always drive fast when I go to visit Bella at night. I ended up with two traffic citations this week, and am ordered to pay two hundred and twenty dollars in the next thirty days. I haven't told Bella about it and don't plan to either. It will just worry her unnecessarily. Now I have to watch my speeding, because if I get one more citation in the next six months, I will lose my license for ninety days.

I arrive at the hospital and run up the stairs to see her. When I open her door, I see that Aro and Jane are sitting with her. "Well Bella, it looks like we'll be off now. We will talk to you soon my dear," Aro says before kissing Bella's head.

Jane just glares her death-ray coal black eyes at me. "Just remember Bella, tell me if he or anyone else hurts you in any way. I've got a lot of new toys that I haven't played with yet. I've really been itching to try out the nut cracker." When she says the last two words, she smirks at me and I clearly know whose nuts she's talking about. I automatically cover my nuts, which makes her chuckle as she hits my arm painfully as she passes. I rub my arm because it was really fucking sore already.

"Have a good evening Edward," Aro chuckles as he leaves.

"Hey Baby," I say as she smiles at me while I walk over to her. I slowly bend down to her and chuckle as she pulls on my shirt to get me to kiss her faster. As we kiss, she moves over in the bed and pulls me down beside her. I shift slightly, putting one hand in her hair as the other wraps around her back. When I pull away from her lips, I softly stroke her face. "I can't wait to get you home baby."

She smiles and leans her face further into my hand. "I can't wait to get home with you too. I miss sleeping with you."

I raise my eyebrow at her and she blushes. Fuck, I missed that too. Three hours a day is not fucking enough! Then I chuckle and trace her jaw with my thumb, realizing exactly what she meant. "I love you so much Baby, and I miss sleeping with you as well." I kiss her deeply, not pulling away until I know we both need to catch our breath. "I was thinking I should take some of this stuff home tonight so you won't need to worry about packing anything tomorrow. It will just be you I need to bring home."

She smiles, nodding her head. "Everything is already packed; Esme helped me do it earlier. She left out a change of clothes for tomorrow and something she called my toiletry bag. I have my toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and a hairbrush in there. All the stuff I need for tomorrow morning is in the small bag on the hook inside the closet. Everything else is packed away in the bigger bag." Bella smiles the whole time she is speaking. It is clear she adores Esme. I'm so fucking glad that Esme returns those feelings; clearly she adores Bella just as much.

"That is really good news. It means I get more time to kiss you and talk to you then."

"I sort of have a surprise for you," Bella says biting her lip. I raise my eyebrow at her which makes her blush. "I love it when you do that 'raising your eyebrow' thing."

She shakes her head as she blushes more. "Well, I am glad you told me about that. I need to do it more often. So Baby, what is my surprise?"

She looks into my eyes and gives me another big, bright smile. "I read the last chapter of A Tale of Two Cities all by myself today. I really loved the whole book; it was great."

I smile at her and give her another kiss on her forehead. "Well done Baby."

Bella places her hand over mine on the side of her face. "Would you like me to read it to you?" I nod my head at her and turn to pick the book and her glasses up. Her fingers work their way into my hair and she begins rubbing my scalp. I love it when she touches me like this. I never imagined a woman's touch could make me react the way her's does. After turning back and settling in beside her, I open the book. I hold one end of the book while she holds the other side and begins to read.

As she says the last line, I grab her face and kiss her hard. "Fucking well done Baby. I'm so fucking proud of you."

She blushes. "It's all because of you. You made this possible for me Edward."

I shake my head at her. "No, it was you Baby..."

Bella puts her hand over my mouth. "How about we say it was both of us? You're great at teaching, and me? I'm happy being your favorite student."

I nod my head at her. "Who was your favorite character Bella?"

She bit her lip. "I really liked Lucie; she was very nice. Her love for her father was pure even though she had a hard life because she was orphaned. I don't really know, but I guess I sort of feel a connection to her in a way." I smile and nod my head. I knew she would have strong association to that character. Bella and I dive into a long discussion all about the book. I love talking like this with her. She loves books as much as I do. It is clear she also picked up on some things even I had missed in the past.

"Baby, I need to go, but I'll be back at ten tomorrow with Seth and Leah. We are picking you up and then taking you out for breakfast. I love you so much, my beautiful baby. Get some rest tonight my love."

Bella kisses me and smiles. "I can't wait." I nod my head and walk to the door. "I'll see you then Baby."

I let out a little sigh as she walks over to the large recliner to lay down. Carlisle brought it to her from his office when he found out that she couldn't sleep in the bed. She didn't mind lying in the bed during the day or for small naps, but she was never alone when she did. Most days, she would lay there and nap while I was here with her. When Esme questioned it, I explained the situation to her. Esme cried when I told her that Bella didn't have a bed and never had. When she asked what Bella slept on, I told her about the sleeping bag at the apartment. Esme has continued to get closer to Bella everyday since.

**~HCV~**

The next morning, I wake with Seth and Leah pulling at me. I chuckle as I look at them. "Alright, alright, I am up! We still have a few hours before we can go and get Bella though. Why don't we go have a light snack and watch some cartoons before we get ready to go?" I get out of bed, glad that I now wear pajama pants to sleep in. When they first started staying with me, I told both Seth and Leah that they could come in here in the morning to wake me up if they were up before me. This is the first that they have done this though, and I know they're just as excited about Bella coming home today as am I.

After our snack and some cartoons, we head out to get Bella. Carlisle called earlier to let me know her discharge paperwork was ready. All of her medications are on their way up from the pharmacy, so that means she will be ready to go when we get there. He knew that Seth and Leah were itching to get her home. When he originally called at eight and found out that we had been up for the past two hours, he went in early to deal with Bella's release.

We enter her room and I'm happy to see that Bella's all dressed. She looks fucking beautiful and sexy as hell. She smiles at me as Seth and Leah run into her arms. "It looks like you all beat me here." Everyone turns to see Carlisle entering into the room. "Here are your medications. You have another week to go before you're in the clear. I will come and check you over on Christmas Eve to make sure you don't need any more okay? Take it easy, and absolutely no working for at least another ten days." He winks at her as I take the bag of medications from him. "Now Little One, I'll let you get out of here, but I'll see you soon. You two keep an eye on your sister and make sure she does what she has been told to do."

Both Leah and Seth give Carlisle a salute. "Sure thing Carlisle," I reply, laughing as I rush them all out of the room.

We stop for breakfast, and I smile when Bella relaxes, enjoying her food. I pull over just before my house comes in to view. "We've got a big surprise for you. You need to wear this, and no cheating." I hold up a blindfold, giving her a smirk. She turns a little in her seat so that I can put it over her eyes, and once it's securely in place, we begin to move again. I pull up to the house, glad that I had turned on the lights before we left. Since it is a rather overcast and dull day, the lights actually look quite nice. I am sure they will look much better at night, but I just know she will love them now. I step out of the car and usher Seth and Leah standing to their positions before helping Bella out.

"So Baby, are you ready?" I see a smile on her face as she nods her head. I stand behind her so that I can look around her to see exactly what she will be seeing. "You need to keep your eyes closed so you can't see until I'm ready, okay?" She nods her head again. I carefully remove the blindfold and kiss her head, watching her face carefully. When I see that her eyes are closed I smile more. "Okay Baby, open your eyes." Bella's eyes open and her face lights up as she looks at the outside of my house.

"Wow! It looks amazing. When...how...did you do all of this?"

I chuckle at her stammering. "We did all this yesterday and last night. It was really fun," Seth bursts out. Leah smacks his arm and rolls her eyes at him as he quickly closes his mouth.

"Ready for the next surprise?"

Bella looks at me bemusedly. "What...there's more?"

I nod my head and walk her to the door. I let Seth and Leah in and turn Bella to me. "You need to close your eyes again Baby." She does so without hesitation, so I turn her and carefully guide her into the house. When I look up, I see that Seth and Leah are in front of the tree. "Okay Baby, you can open your eyes now."

She opens her eyes and I see her face light up again. "Is this...is it real? It's beautiful." I see a tear run down her face as she hugs herself to me.

"We helped pick out the tree," Leah says in a cheerful voice.

"And we helped Edward with all the decorations," Seth continues on.

"Emmie, Jazz, and Carlisle did the outside of the house for you," Leah explains.

"Well you all did a great job. Thank you," she says smiling up at me.

"Well, it isn't completely finished yet. There's still something missing," I say with a smirk to Seth and Leah.

"Really? What? I mean...I can't image anything that could make this more beautiful," Bella says as she frowns, trying to work it out in her head.

"I think this would," Seth says, bringing the angel out.

"Yeah, we think you should put her on Bella," Leah says as she walks and stands next to me.

"I don't think I can reach." Bella looks at the angel, then back to the tree, biting her lip.

"Well Baby, this is where I come in." I smirk at her before I crouch down, pulling her up onto my shoulders. Bella screams as I stand back up, but I easily keep her steady. I chuckle as I walk over to the tree. Once in front of it, Bella carefully places the angel on top. After I let her down, Seth and Leah turn on the tree lights and stand in front of Bella and I. "Now it is complete and perfect." I kiss Bella's head and smile, knowing the truth of my words.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well I am just guessing, but I bet a few of you are happy that Gina got put in her place. And see we kept our promise, Bella is okay. There were a lot of concerns that we would allow Bella to become a victim of rape, and we want to assure you all that there is no way that we could do that with this story. The drama is not over, and neither are the angsty moments, however things will start to rapidly progress from here. We are excited to read your thoughts, so tell us what you think so far. A review reply and teaser will come out to you soon, so get your questions out so we can get them answered. xoxo~ Kasi & Nikky**


	22. Chapter 22

We want to let everyone know that we will be participating in the ban of FFN over the next few days. We are still posting this today because the ban doesn't start yet, and there are a few of our loyal readers who are not aware of the goings on in the fandom right now. To make a long story short FFN is refusing to give us a rating option of MA or NC-17. This is causing several of favorite stories to be deleted. Yes the stories in question are breaking rules set forth by FFN, but the group that is reporting said stories to the be all of FFN is also in violation of said rules. Twilight fan-fiction is not alone in being targeted. There are issues going on in several different categories, and it is silly that it has come to this. We support the ban, because we support the right to read adult stories written by adults, for adults. If any of our stories or any stories written by Weekitty, TeamAllTwilight, or JessAndTAT are pulled, rest assured that you can and will always be able to read them at The Writers Coffee Shop Library – where they do not treat adults like 10 year olds who are not 'supposed' to be on the site. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

**~HCV~**

As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT.

Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and our newest addition to the group Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us.

All mistakes in the final post copy are ours.

Kasi & Nikky.

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TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction

* * *

><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 22: Gifts and Snowball Fights**

It's Christmas Eve and Carlisle came by early this morning to look Bella over. She's still showing signs of having pneumonia, so he ordered her to continue to rest and to take her medication. Before leaving, he assured me that she was getting better. He said that her slow recovery was a sign of her overworking her body for so long. He's sure it will clear up within the next week or two at most. He also weighed her again, because her illness caused her to lose weight. When he saw that she only gained two pounds since her release, he put her on a better eating plan. I fully plan on making sure she follows the new eating plan. Foods high in protein and carbs, along with a new multi vitamin should help. He doesn't want her overeating, but he does want her eating small amounts more frequently. He also suggested a lot of protein shakes because that will help as well.

So, here I am in the kitchen making Bella a snack while she and the kids finish up their gift wrapping upstairs. Yesterday Bella and I wrapped up all the gifts we bought for the kids and placed them under the tree. Esme had helped wrap the things that the kids and I got for Bella. There were a couple of gifts that I wrapped myself because I wasn't willing to share what they were with anyone. I have one special gift that's for Bella's eyes only, and hopefully mine, too, if I'm being honest.

We spent most of our day watching Christmas movies, and for supper we had a huge spread of really fattening foods. I had Eric prepare several wonderful dishes. I had wanted something easy for today – something that wouldn't take away from our family day. The dishes Eric made only needed to be warmed up before serving. The kids loved it. But, then again, we had some great things to choose from. Bella really loved the extra cheesy enchiladas and the lobster bisque. There were so many things to choose from that we had enough leftovers to last us for the next few days. After we ate, we cleaned up the kitchen together.

We all settled down in the living room after the clean-up was done; our new tradition. After we were all settled in, I passed out a few gifts to each person in the room. "Okay, here are a few gifts that you get to open before we go to mass tonight." I made sure to pass out the gift bags that held our new matching clothing that Esme had chosen for our first Christmas mass together. I had asked Esme to help, but then refused to let me pay her back for the gifts. Esme said that the new outfits were from her, and that she was happy that I and my new family were going to attend services together.

"Edward, we can wait and open these gifts tomorrow, can't we?" Bella asks.

"No, Baby, these gifts are for tonight for our church service together. This is the first Christmas mass we get to spend together and these gifts will help make it more special. They are from Esme, who wanted to help make this special. There are gift bags for each of us. Okay everyone, open them up and let's see what we have."

I watch in awe as Leah and Seth excitedly open their bags and pull out the new shoes first. Leah has a nice pair of shiny black Mary Janes, and Seth has a shiny pair of black dress shoes. I smile at Bella and show her my shoes that match Seth's. She smiles back and reaches into her bag, pulling out shoes for her that match Leah's. Next, Leah pulls out the hanger that has her Christmas dress on it. The dress is very beautiful and is made of what looks like crushed velvet in a dark emerald green color. The collar and the ribbon around the waist are a silky black. The colors will look striking against her skin tone. Seth pulls out a nice, black suit and tie, and a dark emerald green dress shirt. I see that Bella has pulled out her dress, too, and that it's an adult version of Leah's. I already know that my suit matches Seth's. Esme outdid herself. Everything is perfect.

"Okay everyone, we have an hour to get ready for mass, and remember that we have a portrait sitting at the church right afterward. Make sure you all have your hair combed nicely. Seth, Edward will help you with your tie if you need it. Leah, do you want me to braid your hair?"

"Can I leave it down and just put up the sides with the pretty bows Esme gave me?" Leah asks, holding up a pair of bows that match the dress.

"That will be wonderful. Let's all get changed now, okay?" We all nod at Bella, who shoos Seth and Leah off to their rooms before she moves over and sits on my lap. "How much of this was your planning?"

"I'm guilty. I asked Esme to help me find the perfect Christmas outfits for us because I knew we were having pictures taken tonight."

"Well, I love it. We'll have a very nice fam... um, picture to show from it."

"No, Baby, you were right the first time. We will have a wonderful family photo taken tonight, and I will order a huge print to frame and hang over the fireplace right there," I say, pointing above the mantel.

**~HCV~**

The service at church was very nice, and since I've never been an overly religious man, saying that is a lot. The photos went well, and the photographer – who was clearly not a member of the congregation – made a comment on how my children sure took after me. Of course, Bella has the same fair skin as Seth and Leah, so I can only assume that her father was fair skinned as well. None of us bothered to correct the man, and when he was done, I wrote out a check to pay for a large package of the photos, including the mantel portrait I said I would buy.

After church we all came back here and got ready for bed. After everyone was back in the living room, we had a light snack and I took out the old copy of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Christian Bingham and Clement C. Moore. Esme gave the book to me earlier in the week, and I had tears in my eyes when I opened it and noticed that it was the same copy that my father used to read to me before bed on Christmas Eve when I was a child.

As I read through the story, Seth, Leah, and Bella were listening with bated breath. The looks on their faces were so inspirational; it was like I was hearing it for the first time. As I closed the book, I can feel certain happiness in my house that I thought I would never have.

"Seth and Leah, you two should help Bella and me. We need to put out a glass of milk and a few cookies for Santa. He really enjoys having a snack, and since you both are so good, I know he'll be stopping by to bring you a gift."

"Come on Bella, we have to get Santa a nice snack!" Leah says excitedly, jumping up to her feet.

"Yeah, I bet he will love Esme's cookies," Seth chimes in.

"I'll be right in to help you," I say as I stand to put the book back on the shelf.

Upon entering the kitchen, I can see the small tray that Bella has set up for Santa. There's a glass of milk and a small plate with four cookies on it. "Edward, do you think Santa will like this?" Seth asks excitedly.

"Yes, Little Man, I think that Santa will love this. Now let me help you and my Princess take this tray into the living room, and then Bella and I will tuck you two into bed." Both kids nod their heads, seemingly happy to go to bed. I am hoping that this is a tradition we can share for a few more Christmases to come.

Tucking both Seth and Leah into the big bed that they are sharing – well, until tomorrow – I smile. Bella and I both kiss them each on the forehead and wish them sweet dreams. We step out into the hall and close the door behind us before I pull Bella into my arms. I kiss her deeply, and her fingers move to tangle in the hair on the back of my head. Pulling back enough to rest my forehead against hers, I look into her eyes. "I love you so much, Baby."

"I love you, too," she says with a vast smile.

"Let's go sit in the living room. There are a few things we need to talk about really quick." I pull her hand and she walks with me down the stairs without hesitation.

After talking with Peter and Jasper about the bikes and accessories from 'Santa', they both agreed that it would be better if I told Bella the truth rather than keep up with the lie. I explained to them that I didn't want to take the magic of Christmas from her, but they reminded me that I could still make it magical without using the aid of Santa. Besides, it would be better for me to tell her now, than for someone else to tell her and laugh at her. After giving it much thought, I have to agree with them. I've been putting it off, but I know I can't wait any longer since tomorrow is D day, and we're about to go to bed.

When we enter the living room, I move toward the sofa. "Baby, will you come and sit beside me?"

Bella looks at me and smiles. "Sure." She pulls my arm a little, stopping my movement, and kisses my cheek. Motioning her head toward the sofa with a smirk, I can't help but smile back.

This past week, I've discovered that Bella is a very affectionate girl. Out of the blue, she will often kiss, hug, or even hold my hand. It's as if she cannot show me enough of her feelings. She tells me more than three times a day that she loves me, almost as if she wants to reassure me over and over again of that fact. I know she's the same way with Seth and Leah, but with them it isn't romantic. It's different and yet so similar. She'll show or tell them often that she loves them very much, and the truth is clear in her eyes when she looks at them. Once you get over Bella's wall and into her heart, she'll show you exactly how much you mean to her. I find myself lapping it up and returning as much as I can. Because, when it comes to her, I simply can't get enough.

Bella is sitting cross-legged, facing me. "I love you so much, and you know that I want us both to be truthful with each other. That means that we need to tell each other the truth, even if it hurts."

Bella bites her lip and nods her head. "I haven't lied to you again, I pinkie swear."

I place my hand over her mouth and pull the pinkie she held out to my lips to place a kiss on the tip of her small finger. "I know, Baby, but I need to tell you something, and I hope that I don't upset you."

Bella gives me a loving smile and nods her head. "I trust you."

I smile at her and take a deep breath before letting out a long, heavy sigh. "Baby, Santa Claus isn't real."

Her eyes go wide as she looks at me. "He's not? Are you sure? What about the store, and pictures, and the letters children write to him?" Bella asks quickly.

Shaking my head, I sigh and rub my face. "In 300 AD there was a man named Saint Nicholas. He was a kind man and a Christian man. He gave gifts out to poor children and helped a lot of families. He kept some of those families from having a harder life, and he saved many people during his lifetime. In the years after his death, people wanted to remember him and honor his life and good works. This was how the idea of Santa Claus came about. He's based on Saint Nicholas, and some still call him good Ole Saint Nick. Since he was a follower of the word of God, we tied him in with celebrating the birth of Jesus. Santa had many different images over the years.

In 1931, Coca-Cola had some space in a magazine, and since it was the holidays, they wanted to put a Christmas theme to it. They ended up dressing Santa in Coca-Cola colors for the ad, which is where the image that is popular today came from. Normally what happens is moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, or whoever looks after children, perform this act for the kids. Most stop believing when they're around ten, some a little older, but almost all stop by age thirteen. Then there are some people who don't believe in Santa at all, and never have. A few believe in the magic of Santa all throughout their adult life. I don't believe in Santa, but I do believe in miracles and the magic of Christmas. I have to believe, because you chose me. You're here with me, and so are Seth and Leah. Baby, I promise to make this and every Christmas we have together magical and special for all three of you."

Bella kisses my lips again. "So, it's been Zafrina and Aro that got the stuff for Seth and Leah, then?" I nod my head at her. "Do we need to tell them, or can they still believe in him?"

I nod my head and stroke her face. "Yes, Baby, of course they can still believe in him. I want them to believe in Santa. That's why I got them presents from Santa."

She looks me in the eyes. "I believe in the magic of Santa, too. The love and kindness that's in you, Esme, Carlisle, Zafrina, Aro and all the other people who've help me and my family. You just do it every day. I thank God that you came into our lives... my life, and I never want to be without you." This time I kiss her. The words she just said make my heart beat faster. Pulling back from the kiss, I just stare into her eyes and stroke her bottom lip with my thumb.

"I love you so much, Baby. I love you all so much. You, Seth, and Leah are my life."

"I love you too, Edward. Thank you for loving us. You make our lives better in every way. Now, tell me Santa Edward, what did Santa bring for Seth and Leah?"

"Santa Edward." I say chuckling. "I bought Seth and Leah brand new bikes, helmets, and kneepads. I got a big gift card that says 'Love, Santa'. I hope that you don't feel... " Before I can finish what I am saying, Bella moves to straddle my lap. Suddenly, she is kissing me... a lot, and very erotically. I moan as my body automatically reacts to her kisses. I fucking swear I love this girl so fucking much. I can't believe this sweet, kind, beautiful girl is for me. I slow our kisses down and pull away from her. "I take it you're okay with it, then?" I kiss her neck and she lets out a moan.

"Yes, they've been asking for bikes for a year now." I keep kissing her as I unbutton her top three buttons and move my mouth to kiss her collarbones and across the top of her chest. "I think that we should keep them here... if that's okay? Will you... help teach them? I never had a bike, so don't know how to ride one." I stop kissing her and try not to get worked up about this. It's just that every time she tells me something new that she's not done, it hits home with how much they took from her. I feel Bella kiss my neck, bringing me back from my thoughts of anger. "Please don't be sad. I didn't miss anything. Really, I didn't. You can't miss what you didn't have. But I have you now, and that's everything I never knew I wanted and needed. You, Seth, and Leah are all I need and want."

I look at her and sigh again. "Baby, I'm sorry. It just makes me upset knowing that you didn't have any of this stuff, but I promise that I will give you the world and everything in it forever. Starting now." I place my hand over her mouth before she can say anything. "I know that you think I have already. I just want you to know that I plan on making sure you experience everything. And, I will try hard to make sure you don't miss anything ever again. I plan on spoiling Seth, Leah, and you because I love you."

Bella kisses my fingers that are still covering her lips, and I smile at her. "Edward, you give me the best gift ever by giving me your heart. I always listened to stories about love... true love. I never thought that anyone would see me, never mind want to love me, the way that you do. I feel it in your touch. I feel those sparks, and they make me feel really good. It's in the way that you look at me. You look at me as if I am your sun and moon; like I'm the most beautiful person in your world. Your kisses..." she smiles, putting her index finger to her lip, "they're amazing. The other stuff that..." Bella bites her lip and blushes, so I nod my head to say I understand, letting her move on. "You hold me every night, and I feel safe with you. I feel that you're a part of me, like you've been the missing piece that I didn't know about. I'll go with you anywhere, anyplace; as long as you, Seth, and Leah are with me... then I will always be happy and safe."

I smile at her. I know that she loves me. I can see and feel it as much as she can feel and see the love for her in me. "You are the most beautiful person inside and out. I will go anywhere with the three of you, too. Now, let's get to bed." I stand up, picking her up with me as I do.

Once I'm fully standing, I pull her closer into my arms and her legs wrap around my center. With her arms around my neck and her legs hugging me close, I carry her to our bedroom. I set her down and she smiles shyly at me before she kisses her finger and puts them to my lips. I smile as she walks into the bathroom with her pajamas.

Sitting on the bed, wearing only my silk sleep pants, I wait for Bella. I'm almost lost for words when she saunters out of the bathroom wearing a short black silk nightie that barely comes to mid-thigh. Swallowing the pooling drool, I pat the bed beside me. "Come here and sit. I'm going to brush my teeth and then I'll be right back. I have something for you," I say getting up.

"Edward..."

"Don't argue," I say stopping her. "I love you, Baby. Sit right here." I point to the bottom part of the bed. "I'll be right back." I walk into the bathroom and quickly brush my teeth. Making my way back into our room, I stop at my dresser and open the bottom drawer. I take out the pretty wrapped package, and thank God that Charlotte wrapped the gift for me.

I turn, keeping the gift out of sight and move to the bed, sitting in front of Bella. "Baby, I got you this," I say handing her the gift that was just for me and her. I know that she's looked at sexy underwear at the shop. I also know she liked some of the stuff that came from Alice's bags that Jasper gave her. I went and bought her the sexy sky blue babydoll that I saw in Charlotte's shop.

I hand her the wrapped gift and she looks at it while biting her lip. "What's wrong, Baby?" She strokes the gift much like she did with her birthday card.

"I've never had a real gift before. I mean, not one that was wrapped up all pretty like this. Seth and Leah always made stuff at school or with Zafrina, and those were in bags, and I love that they do that. The gifts that Zafrina and Aro gave to me were always in a gift bag, too. I know it's still a gift, but I never had one that was wrapped before."

I let out a sigh before kissing her head. "What about cards, Baby? How were you able to make cards to go with the gifts for Seth and Leah? I know that you don't like accepting gifts for yourself. But, you accepted the gifts that Aro and Zafrina gave you. Can you help me understand how that was okay?"

She shakes her head at me. "Zafrina and Aro know I don't like having stuff given to me. She and Aro always ask me to make them pictures when they give me stuff. I did all the pictures that are in Aro's club. He also paid me for them by taking money off my rent. Part of the deal was they bought my supplies for that, too, so I didn't feel bad about taking those gifts from them. I kind of worked for them, you know?" I nod my head at her, and I wait knowing there's more. "Truthfully, all of this... this kind of freaks me out a little. As for cards, Zafrina always made me a card to go along with any gifts for Seth and Leah. The card that you gave me for my birthday, well it was the first from a store that I ever got."

I kiss her head again and stroke her arm. "Baby, I love you, and I will be buying you a lot more gifts and cards. I've already bought you a few." I stop, rub my face, and take a deep breath. "A lot that's under the tree is for you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, but I want you to have everything and know that I give it to you because I love you and want the best for you. How about this. I'll open this gift with you now because it's for our eyes only, and tomorrow we can take it one gift at a time."

She nods her head, looking at me. "I'm sorry to get you so upset when you try so hard for me."

I shake my head and kiss her lips. "Baby, you're doing great… really great. I know that this will take time, and I'll be there for you every step of the way." Bella takes a deep breath and begins to open the gift.

Her eyes go wide and she blushes, biting her lip as she jumps up and straddles me. "I love this! It's so pretty. Thank you." She begins kissing my neck and I take the gift from her. I place it on the bedside table and pull her with me as I lay us both back on the bed. Rolling us slightly, I pull her left leg high up on my right side and grind my cock against her warm, damp panties. I kiss and suck on her mouth, catching her moans as I use my fingers and body to make her pant out my name as her body shudders.

**~HCV~**

Bella and I are woken up a little after six by Seth and Leah. "Merry Christmas, Beeward."

Bella and I frown at them. "Huh?" we say together.

Leah rolls her eyes. "It takes too long to say both of your names."

Seth nods his head. "So we came up with a name to say when we're talking to both of you."

"Beeward," they say together.

I look at Bella and chuckle as she does the same. "Well, that was nice of you. I am up," I say with a stretch.

Bella looks at me and I nod my head. "Me, too. So, let's get downstairs and see what's there." We walk down the stairs together. Bella and I had put the bikes away in the other room so they could open their other gifts first. We sit down and watch Seth and Leah open each of their gifts carefully. They read each of the tags to see who got it for them before opening it. They smiled each time they opened something new.

Once they were done, Bella hands each of them a gift to give to me. "Thank you, Seth and Leah." I take the gifts and open them, seeing that one's a blue shirt and the other is a sweater. I know these are not top of the line clothes and that they came from Wal-Mart, but these are two of my favorite gifts of all time. "I love them. Thank you both so much." I kiss Leah's head and tousle Seth's hair. "I think I'll wear the shirt today and the sweater tomorrow, if that's okay?" They both nod their heads and sit down next to me.

"This from me," Bella says, handing me a fairly large package.

I look at her and take the gift. "Thank you," I say and then kiss her head. Sitting back, I start to open the gift, which looks like a large, cloth covered book. When I open the book, I see hand printed writing on the first page.

Edward~

These are some pictures I've been drawing for you. It's filled with you, your family, and mine, too. A part of me feels as if the pictures are your family and mine... well ours now. I love you very much. I hope you have nice day today.

All my love, Bella~

I turn the page to look at the different drawings. Flipping through, I see one where I'm playing with Seth and Leah. There's another one with the four of us playing baseball together, and she even manages to draw herself fairly well. There are drawings of Emmett, Carlisle, Jasper, and Esme, too. As I get near the end, I see that the final drawings are of my father, mother, and me. There's even one with me and my dad sitting at my piano. It's a view from behind and I recognize it immediately. I have this photograph on the desk in my office. The photo on my desk is very old and has been damaged over the years. The original photo is now fading, but Bella has enhanced the drawing and it looks exactly the way the photo used to look. This gift has really touched my heart.

"I love this so much. Thank you," I say pulling her in for another kiss.

I pull out Bella's gift from the twins and hand it to them to give to her. "This for you, Bella," they say together.

Bella takes it and slowly opens it. She gasps, seeing that it's a silver cross. She smiles at them both before pulling them in for a group hug. One thing I've learned about Bella is that she has a strong faith, and I feel it's that faith that helped her and kept her safe over the years. "I love it. Thank you so much."

I sit behind her and give her a small kiss on the back of her neck. "Here, let me put this on for you." Bella hands me the necklace and I clasp it around her neck before placing another kiss on the base of her neck when I am done. "These are from me," I say, handing her the large gift bag full of wrapped gifts. "You don't need to open all of them right now, Baby. We can do this one at a time."

She looks at me and nods her head. "They're all so pretty like this." I watch her open each one slowly and carefully. I bought her an iPod, a Kindle, a Blackberry cell phone, a bracelet that has 'I love you' engraved on it, some books, and I also bought her a bunch of clothes. After the last gift is open, she hugs me tightly. I can feel her shaking, and I rub her back, trying to calm her. I know that I'll need to ask Jasper about this.

"Seth, Leah, I have a gift for each of you, too. They were WAY too big to put under the tree, so come with me. After I give you each your gift, we can see what Santa left for you in my office." I walk up the stairs with the three of them following me. I was so glad the Esme managed to do this while Bella was in the hospital and the twins were at school.

"First you, Leah. Close your eyes," I say, standing outside what will now be her room. I open the door and look at Bella, and she smiles as she takes it all in. "Okay, Leah, you can open your eyes now."

She opens her eyes and then squeals. "Wow, this is so great!" She is standing just inside her room and jumping as she twirls around.

"This is now your bedroom. Everything in here belongs to you." She runs over and gives me a hug.

Seth catches my eye and I can see that he looks a little left out. "Okay Seth, it's your turn to see your new bedroom."

His eyes go wide as he looks at me. "I... really? I get my own room, too?" I nod my head at him, holding out my hand which he takes.

I see Bella and Leah following behind us. "Close your eyes, Seth." He does as I ask and I walk him into his room. "Okay, you can open them."

Much like Leah, he looks around the room in amazement. "Thank you, Edward. This is just so cool." He runs into my arms and I look at Bella, who is smiling back at me.

"I think we should see what Santa left for each of you and then have some breakfast. What do you say?" They all nod they heads at me and I walk over to Bella. "I hope that this is okay, Baby. I just want you to always feel at home here."

She nods her head and kisses my lips. "I'm sorry that I couldn't get you anything as nice as what you got for me... got for us."

I pull her into my arms and kiss her forehead. "Bella, that book of drawings is the best gift ever. The sweater and shirt the kids gave me are wonderful, and the three things together are some of the most well thought out gifts I have ever received. I love everything. Thank you so much. But, Baby, most of all, thank you for being mine and being with me. I wouldn't want you, Seth, or Leah to be anywhere besides here with me."

Bella nods her head and we walk to my office door. I see Seth and Leah standing outside waiting for us. I smile at how patient they are. "Okay, you both ready?"

They nod their heads and I open the door to my office. I hear the two of them gasp out. "Oh my... "

Seth and Leah both run to their bikes. "Bella, Santa got us bikes!" the both say.

Bella and I chuckle at their excitement over the gifts.

"How about we get something to eat now, then we can get dressed... " I watch as Seth and Leah run out of the room. I look at Bella as she completes what she was saying, "and then you can take the bikes outside and go for a ride?" She shakes her head and hugs me.

"I'm going to assume that would be a yes to that, you think?" Bella smiles and nods her head at me.

We all eat breakfast and then Bella sets out the twin's warm clothes for them in their own rooms. She's in our room getting ready, so I head up to get dressed, too. I find her naked with her back to the door. Looking at her sexy body and seeing those fucking whip scars on her back saddens me. I've been trying to change her thoughts of them. I've placed soft kisses on each of them countless times, trying to heal them in her mind. I spend a lot of time telling her how much I love her, and how good she truly is.

As I watch her, I see her bend over to pick up her panties so she can put them on. I close the door and quickly walk over to her, and as I do, she stops her movements. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her back. Running my hands over her sides, I bring them to her back, caressing each of the marks marring her otherwise perfect skin, and leave a trail of open mouthed kisses searing across her flesh. After working my way down her body, I move back to the top. Continuing my caressing and kissing, I make it to her neck and I gently suck on the skin in the arch between her neck and shoulder. With my hand cupping her breasts, I lay more open mouthed kisses on her bare shoulder. I take the lace panties from her hand, and squat down. Holding the panties for her, she steps into them one leg at a time. As I pull them up, I place light kisses up her legs. Once I have her lace panties pulled up where they belong, I take her matching bra from the open drawer. While I whisper words of love and devotion in her ear, I slide the bra straps up her arms. With light kisses and the occasional swipe of my tongue to taste her sweet skin, I get her bra straps into the right place. With the bra cupping her breasts lightly, I trace my hands across the lace to her back. With my hands between us, I hook the one small hook.

"Baby, I love you so much. Let's get you dressed nice and warm so you don't get any sicker."

"I love you... so much," she pants out.

Turning her to me, I look her in her eyes. "I love you, too, Baby. So much." I kiss her hungrily, and when I get to the point of needing to breathe, I escort her to the closet. I put her into a turtleneck and a sweater. I grab my UW hoodie, put it over her head, and help her get her small arms into the long sleeves. Then I help her into a pair of her skinny leg jeans, and place my matching UW sweats over them. I know layers will keep her warm, and that's my goal. Once she's all dressed and is wearing her socks and new boots, I get dressed.

Bella and I walk downstairs holding hands, and we see Seth and Leah at the door, all wrapped up, holding their bikes. I help Bella put on her new jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves that I got her before putting on my own, and then turn to the kids. "Okay, guys, are you all ready?"

They both nod their heads and excitingly yell out, "Yes!"

I chuckle at them because I can see the excitement practically boiling out of them. "Well, let's go then," I say as I open the door. I grab the camera from the entryway table and hand it to Bella before helping both the kids get their bikes down the front steps and to the sidewalk.

"First thing is kneepads and helmets. I see both of you have them on, but I'm just going to double cheek them for you." I check Seth over first, and then Leah. "Okay, the training wheels are on your bikes, so if both of you sit on the seats, I'll make sure everything's at the right height." I check Leah first and then Seth, only needing to adjust his seat up a little. "Both of you sit on your seats and put your hands on the handlebars." When they both do, I check to make sure they can easily grab the hand brakes. "This one is for your back brakes," I say, placing one of my hands over each of theirs, showing them the correct hand brake. Switching sides, I continue, "And, this one is for your front brake. When stopping, squeeze both of them together or just the back brake, but never squeeze just the front brake. Let's practice that..." They both nod their heads. "Okay, on your marks, get set, brake... " I chuckle as they both do it. I see Bella smiling while taking pictures of us. "Great job! I think it's time to give it a try for real. Go ahead and put both of your feet on the peddles and start peddling." They both do it together and are off like a shot. Bella and I walk with them as they ride around and have fun, and we take turns at snapping pictures. On the sly, I got a few of her, too. She's so fucking beautiful that I couldn't help but take her picture.

We've been outside for quite a while when I see Bella cough a little and shiver. Deciding that now is a good time to go in for hot cocoa, I call out to all of them. "Bella, Seth, Leah, I think we should head in now. Let's go and have a nice warm cup of fresh made hot cocoa before everyone else arrives."

Bella nods her head at me. "I need to start the soup for lunch, too."

I kiss her lips before turning to where Seth and Leah are. "Okay, guys, I think we should put the bikes away for now, and we can come back out tomorrow." They both look at me and then Bella, and nod their heads. With one last race to us, they're both laughing hard and end up in a tie. I chuckle, helping them in with their bikes as Bella goes to switch on the kettle.

I take them around to the back of the townhouse where I have my shed. "Okay, guys, this is my outdoor storage shed. I keep the key in the drawer next to the back door. This is where your bikes and any garden toys you get will be kept." They both nod their heads at me. "Remember to lock it up once you put your stuff away." Again they nod their heads at me.

"Edward... " I look down at Leah as I put her bike in the shed.

"Yes, Princess?"

She bites her lip much like Bella does. "Thank you."

I look at her and then to Seth, who is nodding and smiling at me. "What for?" I ask, looking between them once again.

"For everything. Last year we both asked Santa for one thing. We even asked God, too," Leah explains.

As they both look at me, I frown at them in wonder. "What did you ask for?"

Leah looks to Seth and nods her head in that silent communication way of theirs. "We asked for him to bring Bella a friend like the friends we have at school," Seth says. I notice he looks toward the kitchen window where I can see Bella inside at the counter working on our hot cocoa. "Bella is always happy to do things with us, and for us. We know that she always works hard to give us everything," Seth continues.

"But, she never had anything for herself. She never bought herself anything, and she didn't speak to people apart from Zafrina, Aro, and some people that work for him. We both just want her to have someone," Leah says as Seth nods his head in conviction. Seth sighs and looks down after a few seconds. "She never liked people being too close to her. We were surprised that day at the mall when we first saw you. She was so calm and she smiled when she talked about you," Leah says taking her brother's hand.

"So, thank you for being her friend, and for making her so happy." They both look at each other and then back to me. "Is it okay that you being here for her is our favorite gift this year?"

I pull them both towards me and hug them hard. "Yes, that is more than okay. I want you to know that I love your sister very much. I love you both, too. Leah, you are my princess," I tell her as I place a kiss on her head. Looking then to Seth I continue, "I love you, too, Seth. You are my little man," I say as I tousle his hair. "The three of you in my life and sharing the holidays with me is the best gift I have ever received. Thank you for letting me be a part of your family." They nod their heads at me. "Okay, come on you two. Let's get some hot cocoa before Emmie gets here and drinks it all." They both look at me then to each other before running to the back door of our home.

**~*HCV*~**

The morning has gone by pretty quickly. Aro texted me a minute ago to let me know that he and Zafrina were on their way over. Bella and I worked side-by-side to put the ham in the oven and get all the vegetables cut up and ready. The homemade vegetable and chicken soup is hot and ready. There are homemade dinner rolls coming out of the oven in five minutes, and the homemade apple pie is all done, too. Eric showed me how to make several things a few weeks ago. I knew I wanted to learn how to make apple pie when Bella said she had never tried it before.

As we're finishing up in the kitchen, I hear my front doorbell and go to let Zafrina and Aro in. "Merry Christmas, Edna," Zafrina says before kissing my cheek and heading into the living room.

"Edward," Aro greets me, coming in behind her carrying a shit load of bags.

"Aro, do you need some help?" He nods his head at me, so I take a load from him. Walking back into the living room, I see the kids talking to Zafrina.

"Merry Christmas, Aro," Bella says smiling as she turns her head to look at us.

"Merry Christmas, Isabella," Aro responds as he kisses Bella on top of her head. "Seth, Leah, you both look well. Are you having a nice time today?"

They both look at him, giving him two large smiles. "Aro, we're having a great day. Santa got us bikes and we were out riding on them this morning," Seth says while Aro nods his head.

"Well, I'm glad that you got them. You both have been so good this year." Aro takes a seat next to his mother, and I sit back down behind Bella. I kiss her neck and she turns to smile at me.

"Well, we brought gifts for all of you. This is your bag Seth, this one is for Leah, and this one is for Bella." Bella sits forward, taking the bag which I can see in full of arts and craft supplies. "This one is for you, Edward," Aro says.

I look at him almost shocked as I take the bag from him. "Thank you," I tell him as he nods his head and smiles at me. Leah opens her gift to find that she got a new party dress, some other clothes, books, and a few of the Bratz dolls. Seth got a boys suit, clothes, books, and some action toys. They got me some books and a music teaching guide.

Bella made both Aro and Zafrina a picture, and the twins got a sweater for Aro and a top for Zafrina. I also gave them each a gift. I got Zafrina a gift certificate for dance lessons, which I thought she'd enjoy, and a very nice watch for Aro.

They stay for a little while, and I can tell that Bella enjoys playing host to them. I can't take me eyes off her as she talks with them and brings them drinks. She is truly enjoying herself, and being a hostess is something she does naturally, but we all know she cares for everyone. I didn't have the heart to ask her to stop, relax, and take it easy.

The four of us finally sit down for lunch, chatting away before playing with Seth and Leah and their new toys. Bella ends up playing dolls with Leah while Seth and I play with Legos. God I have really missed playing with Legos.

"Merry Christmas! The party can start now. Emmie is in the house!" Emmett's voice booms around my entire house.

Both Seth's and Leah's eyes light up as they look behind Bella and me. We turn around to see that Emmie has his Christmas sweater on. I think that it has a reindeer and snowman on it. He paired it with dress slacks, and of course, he's wearing a Santa hat. I shake my head as I watch Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme come in behind him.

"Merry Christmas everybody," Seth and Leah say together.

I smile as I watch Esme walk over to Bella and hug her. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

Bella smiles and I can see that the hug Esme gave her made her feel good. "I feel good, thank you, Esme." Everyone greets each other like always. I keep my eyes on Bella as she hugs each person. I feel proud of her; and of Emmett as he holds himself back from giving her one of his big hugs.

We all sit down as they hand out the gifts they brought. Seth and Leah received more clothes and toys from Emmett and Jasper. Carlisle and Esme got them each a laptop; Seth's was blue and Leah's was pink. Bella got three new outfits, new boots, some socks, a gift certificate to Charlotte's shop, and some books, all from Jasper and Emmie. Carlisle and Esme gave Bella a card with a picture inside. I watched her as she pulled out the picture, and looking over her shoulder, I saw that it was a full sized art drawing table. Bella lets out a small gasp and has a huge smile on her face.

"You... you got me a drawing table?"

"Yes, we did, dear, and it's already set up for you."

"It is?" Bella asks, shocked.

"Yes, my dear. Would you like me to show you where it is?" Esme asks Bella and she quickly nods her head. Esme leads everyone up the stairs to the junk room and uses the key to open the door. "Bella, this room is from Edward and the supplies are from Carlisle and myself," Esme says before pushing the door open and flipping on the light.

Esme did a wonderful job. The room is bright, well lit, and cheerfully decorated. The drawing table takes up one whole corner of the room. There are several canvases and an entire wall of bins and supplies.

"This is so much more than I could ever have asked for. Thank you so much," Bella says genuinely. Turning to me, Bella shakes her finger in my face. "This better be the last gift for now. If it isn't, you'd better put the rest away until the next holiday because you have outdone yourself!" I smile and pull her into my arms, hugging her close and kissing her head.

We all head back downstairs and I give them all my gifts. I nod at Seth and Leah, who then pass out their presents. Seth and Leah gave Carlisle, Emmie, and Jazz each a sweater that was very similar to the ones Aro and I had already received. Esme was given a lovely top, and though I knew it was not up to the class she was accustom to, I knew we would see her wear it. Bella handed out her pictures to Jazz and Emmie. She gave a very large gift to Esme and Carlisle, telling them it was a joint gift for them.

I watch as they all open the drawings, almost more excited to see the painting than the other presents. The large drawing was of all of our family in our Thanksgiving clothes around their living room fireplace. Esme gasps as she looks at it. "Bella, did you do this?"

Bella bites her lip and nods her head. "Yes, I did them from memory."

Esme gasps a few more times. "Little One, this is very beautiful. You really have a talent for this," Carlisle says.

Esme nods her head in agreement. "Bella, Edward suggested the art supplies, but we didn't know that you were this talented. If you don't mind, I'd like to put your information in my office. I have a lot of people asking for murals for walls or ceilings. I also get requests for personalized paintings and drawings to match a room's design. If you're interested, I'll help make you a portfolio. I've used different people over the years, but none are as good as you." Esme takes her eyes off the picture to look at Bella. "Please, think about this." Bella blushes and nods her head.

I walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her, and kiss her neck. "I told you that you're good at this." She bites her lip as she smiles at me.

Jasper's picture was of him and Alice on a horse. He was dressed in a Confederate Army uniform, and Alice was in a dress from that period and was sitting side saddle on the horse. Emmett's was a picture of him, Seth, and Leah outside playing.

Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and I took Seth and Leah back out on their bikes for a while because Emmie insisted that he had to check out the wheels that Santa brought the kids. I was just thankful Esme asked Bella to sit with her and have a chat.

"She looks a lot better than she did last week. Fuck, bro, I've never been so fucking scared in my life."

I look at Emmie and nod my head. "Me, too. Um... I wanted to ask you something, Jasper," I say, turning to look at Jasper who nods his head. "Bella kind of freaked out about the wrapped gifts. She's never received one before, and well... she was shaking after she opened the shit load I got for her. I know you noticed how she acts with the gifts you all got her."

Jasper sighs and nods his head in confirmation. "I think she was more overwhelmed than upset, Edward. She's not used to someone caring for or about her. She's been the caregiver throughout her whole life so far. She's cared for the twins since they came home from the hospital. Essentially, she's been a teen mom. Before their births, she took care of her father and step-mother. She's always been a caregiver. This is something that stays with her. It's more her true personality. I would say keep giving her things, but try not to overwhelm her. You don't need to give her gifts. You could make her breakfast in bed, or bring her a cup of coffee." I chuckle, as does Emmett, and Jasper turns to us.

"I'm really not kidding. You have no idea the number of females that feel unloved, and most say 'even if he made me a cup of coffee, that would make me feel better.' It's the little things that show people that you love them." We both nod our heads.

"Well, can I ask something about Little Bit?" Both Jasper and I turn to Emmett, and he appears unsure as he looks at me, so I nod my head. "Well, how can she be so affectionate? I don't just mean with Seth and Leah. I did see her when she first started working for you, Ed, but from what you say, she was really bad before. Even when I met her, she looked like a scared kitten, and now... well she hugs me, and it's a real heartfelt hug."

Jasper rubs his chin as he thinks over his answer. "That's hard to explain, but a part of it is because Bella was starved of affection. So, at first it scared her, but she still was able to show it. We all saw her with Seth and Leah. We all know people - women - who are without the natural mothering instincts in them. I also think there are some who have it switched on before they even become a mother. I think this is the case with Bella. This is why she's able to play the part of a mother so well for the twins. As for the affection she displays, I think she thrives on it. Now that she feels safe and she knows that Edward won't hurt her or allow anyone else to hurt her, she's allowing us to show her the affection she secretly craves."

Emmett smiles one of his big, goofy, happy face smiles. "I'm pleased that I got to hug her. I really think of her as a little sister. I just wish Rose would realize that," he says frowning while he looks down.

I place my hand on his arm. "How are things going with Rose?"

Emmie rubs his face and lets out a breath. "Not good. I really don't get why she's so upset over Bella. She was having a fit about me coming to see you guys today. She keeps going on about how it's bad for our images to be seen with her. Then she freaked out at her doctor's appointment because they said that she may need to share a semi-private room at the beginning of her labor. Apparently, there are almost forty babies due the same week. So, she went on and on about how she wouldn't share anything with a common street rat." I shake my head at Rose's behavior.

Jasper sighs heavily and shakes his head as well. "I wish I could say that it was hormonal and due to her being in the last stages of pregnancy, but she's always been like this. Mom and Dad spoiled her rotten, and she was always given want she wanted right when she wanted it. About a year before they died, Rose wanted this doll. She already had one, but I think the hair was a little messy so she wanted a new one. Dad took us to get it, but when we got there, we found out that the shop didn't have any. They said to return the following week and they would have one then because there was a new batch coming in. Rose didn't like this and didn't want to wait. She saw a younger girl with one; it was a sold item, already paid for in full. Rose demanded that my father get it from the girl. My father tried to buy the doll from the child and her mother, but the child really wanted the doll, and the mother refused the sale. Rose knew the child's mother was a maid, so she put on her puppy dog face and told the store manager that the girl's mom took it from her. The store owner knew this was a lie, but he also knew that my dad had some power over him. The store owner took the doll from the girl and banned the women from his store, giving the doll to Rose free of charge. I blame my dad for some of her shit, but a lot of it is on her own head."

Emmett rubs his face again, sighing. "I've been sleeping in the spare room since Thanksgiving and I don't think she cares. I've asked her to go and talk to someone with me, but she refuses. I really don't see a good way out of this." I pat his shoulder as I look back at Seth and Leah. Carlisle is with them and they're at the corner of the street coming toward us.

I let out a loud whistle and cheer them all on. "Wow! You both are doing great. I'm so proud of you." I quickly snap a few pictures of them as they brake when they get to us. We all walk around together to put the bikes away. Jasper helps me as Carlisle puts the helmets and kneepads away.

I walk back out to the front of the house just in time to have a snowball hit me right in the face. I wipe away the snow, looking at Seth and Leah who both look shocked as they point at Emmett, who looks smugly at me. Carlisle and Jasper chuckle as they walk up to me.

"I see th... " Carlisle is cut off as a snowball hits his face at the same time one hits Jasper. All three of us turn and look at them.

"Snowball fight!" Emmett shouts as they bend down pick up more snowballs.

**~HCV~**

We dust the snow off of us as we walk in to the house. The smell of cookies, and not just any cookies but Esme's special Christmas cookies, surround us. All six of us walk into the kitchen to find both Esme and Bella sitting with hot cocoa and cookies fresh out of the oven. I smile at Esme as I hug her. "Thank you," I whisper in her ear. I walk to Bella, who is still decorating some of the cookies. "Baby, did you have fun?"

She smiles at me, nodding her head. "Yes. Esme's been teaching me how to make cookies; all different kinds." I can see Bella's eyes sparkle as she speaks.

"Wow! Esme and Bella, you made these? They're really tasty," Seth says with a mouth full of the chocolate fudge cookie.

"Seth, I really don't want to see what you eating," Bella admonishes as she turns to give him a look.

He swallows what is in his mouth. "Sorry, Beeward," he says and goes back to eating his cookie.

"Hmm... Beeward?" Emmett asks, looking at Seth. Oh fuck, here we go!

Seth looks at Leah because he still has some cookie in his mouth. "That's what we call Bella and Edward when we talk to both of them. It's too long to say both of their names, so we thought we should save some time," Leah explains. I watch her as she takes a large bite of a cookie when she's done. This time, Jasper gives Leah a look. "Yeah, reserve energy. You know, like we were told to walk places that are close by instead of taking a car, and turning out lights when leaving a room. Well, we thought we could do the same with air, and saying both of their names together take a lot less, so we came up with a name to call both of them together."

I shake my head at the logic behind why they did this. And yet, I find the argument she gave well thought out. "Beeward... I like it! It's a shame I didn't come up with it," Emmett says while grinning.

"He's going to start calling us that now, too, right?" Bella whispers in my ear and I nod my head at her while smiling slightly.

I kiss her forehead and pull her close to me. "That he is, my love. That he is." Bella picks up the plate of cookies she was working on and goes over to the table. I follow behind her and sit in the seat next to her.

"Did you have a good time?" Bella asks, looking at the twins.

They both nod their heads simultaneously. "Yes! It was great," they tell her while smiling widely. Leah jumps up, walks around the table, sits on Bella's lap, and hugs her. I can see her whispering in Bella's ear, but I'm unable to work out what's said.

Bella rubs her back and kisses her forehead. "I love you. I always have and I always will." I watch the both of them together and smile at their close bond. I was so engrossed by them that I didn't notice Seth had gotten up until he was standing right next to me. He leans forward and hugs Bella and Leah from behind. Bella's hand goes into Seth's hair as she smiles at him. After a second, Leah moves over on Bella's knee so that Seth can sit on Bella's other knee. The three of them have a silent exchange. Even though I've seen this many times in the past week, it still stuns me like it did the first time I saw it. It's clear that the bond runs much deeper than that of a normal sibling bond. It's like a mixture of sibling and parental love, with a touch of friendship thrown in. This has to be the strongest bond that there has ever been.

Just like that, Seth and Leah jump off of Bella's knees at the same time, and go back to their own seats. It's only once they move that I notice everyone is looking at them. They all turn to me, so I give them a smile and a small shrug of my shoulders. We chat for a little while, and it isn't long before everyone decides to head home. Emmett looks the most forlorn as they leave.

Bella, Seth, Leah, and I enjoyed our dinner together, and then Bella took them to get ready for bed. They're all in the bedroom they shared to have a story read to them, and I watch as Bella reads a new book. She's been practicing it the last few nights. I kiss both kids and tell them to sleep tight and have sweet dreams. I then tell Bella that I'll see her soon in our room, and head up the stairs. I sit on the bed we share, reading as I wait for her. When she comes into the room, I place my book down and take my glasses off. I watch her as she bites her lip, looking shy and flushed. She slowly takes off her shoes and slides them under the seat. I watch her closely; her eyes full of desire as she bites her lip again. With a slight smile, she slowly pulls down her pants. I gulp and swallow as my cock starts to harden, but fuck I can't take my eyes off of her. She takes off her top and is standing in front of me in the same fucking sexy underwear I put her in this morning. I watch her walk to the end of the bed and crawl up my legs. She stops when she gets to my chest, and begins kissing her way up to my mouth.

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><p><strong>AN: So what are your thoughts about their first family Christmas together? The next chapter will be a celebration of sorts with a lot going on. We have the twins birthdays and of course New Years Eve. I warn you now, the next chapter will have a BITCH ALERT WARNING. Chapter 23: Birthdays and Unexpended Visitors ...will post on our normal schedule. (If we are no longer allowed to post on FFN, find us on TWCS and check Facebook group: TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction for other available sites.)**

**We are considering starting a blogspot, but we are in need of a designer for that. If you are interested in assisting us, shoot us an email message at teamalltwilight at gmail dot com. **

**Please rest assured that if we get pulled from FFN, we will still be around posting and writing for all of you our wonderful fans and support group. This story will be finished and it will be worth following. **

**Thank you, Kasi (&Nikky)**


	23. Chapter 23

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT.**

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us.**

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours.**

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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* * *

><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 23: Birthdays and Unexpected Visitors**

It's New Year Eve and the twin's eighth birthday. Seth and Leah shared a party yesterday at Chuck E. Cheese and they loved it. Esme, Chas, and Angela all took the day off and came to help out at the party. Aro brought Sulpicia and their son, Sammy, who is ten. Sammy seemed to have taken a liking to Leah, as he stayed mainly with her the entire time. Esme and Zafrina both said it was cute and sweet, but all I wanted to do was kill the kid. Bella even laughed at me and gave me a look when I let out a growl at little Sammy when he pulled Leah away while she was talking to us. I looked back at Bella and shrugged my shoulders, because I wasn't really sure where the over-protectiveness came from.

Then there were the moms or whores as I call them. I got hit on a lot. Almost every mother of a child that had been invited was dressed like they were having a night out on the town, not taking their child to a classmate's birthday party. Some even said that I was really nice to help Bella and her kids out like I have been. I felt like I was going to lose it as they made her sound so beneath them and that she was simply a charity case. Thankfully, Bella kept me calm and stopped me from screaming at them. As soon as school is back in session, I'll be making it very clear to everyone what Bella and I are to each other. The fact that this was a place for children, and that it was Seth and Leah's first real birthday party, stopped me from performing a very hot, public display of affection with Bella. I know for a fact I would have enjoyed it, and I'm sure I would have made Bella enjoy it, too.

Bella and I have already given Seth his gift today. We plan on giving them their joint present, a video game, right after midnight. That way it will be between the times they were born. Seth was born at twenty minutes to midnight on New Year's Eve, and Leah was born at about twenty minutes after midnight on New Year's Day. It's kind of strange, but they both love the fact they are twins that not only have different birthdays, but different months and years, as well.

Bella told me that Seth came home three weeks after he was born, and Leah can home about ten days later. When they came home, it was the first that she saw them, and she has been looking after them ever since. I pulled her into my arms then, and told her she was no longer alone, that I would always be there for her, and would help her in any way that I could. I would help her bring them up, all she had to do was tell me how much of an input that she wanted from me. I couldn't hold back my grin when she said it was okay to share my opinions with her any time; that she's always been worried she was doing the wrong thing. She said it would be nice to have someone to talk to and share choices with. Then she kissed my lips and called me her Godsend. I pulled her further into my arms and kissed her, telling her that she was my salvation.

We've made Seth's favorite dinner tonight: pasta and meatballs. Esme, Carlisle, Aro, Zafrina, Emmett, and Jasper are all joining us. Just as everything is about ready, my door opens and everyone comes in together.

"Good evening, all," Carlisle says as he walks in. Seth and Leah stand up, both running to Emmie for hugs. They both have taken a strong liking to him, but then again, he is just an overgrown child himself. I turn with a smile as I watch Bella hug Zafrina and Esme. Esme plays with Bella's hair a little and then rubs her arm. They look so much like mother and daughter, and it's strange because they've only known each other a very short time. It's completely heartwarming for me to see their bond develop. I feel a hand touch my shoulder and I look to see Carlisle standing beside me, looking at Esme and Bella. I'm sure he's thinking the same thing I am.

"She is so good for the family. Actually, the three of them are. It's as if they were the missing pieces to the puzzle to make us whole. I know our family feels more complete with them in it, and I can see how they've brought you back to life, as well. I can't thank you enough, son, for allowing them to become a part of us. I'm so fucking glad, and proud of you for that." Carlisle stops and smiles at me as I look at him. "I love you very much, Edward. I never want to see or hear about you being in pain or sick, but I'm so glad that you had that panic attack, because I believe that was what made you see Bella for who she truly is."

I place my hand on his shoulder. "You and me both. I used to think that a complete fuck-up like me didn't deserve happiness. I never believed that any women were even capable of being honest, but she alone has changed that for me." He gives me a nod to say that he understands, and we join the others in the living room.

"Thank you so much, Emmie. This is great!" Seth says with a grin on his face and Leah nods her head. We've been opening gifts for the past half hour, and Seth has just opened the last one.

"Well, I think we should all head in for dinner," I say. We all move into the dining room and everyone but Bella and I sit around the table. Once I'd helped Bella put the food out, we sat down next to each other. Everyone was talking about stupid topics, but they were clearly having a good time. This has been the first family dinner that I've enjoyed since my father died.

I feel Bella's breath on my neck as she softly places a kiss there before speaking to me. "Do you want to do the cake today? Or, I could do it today and you could do Leah's tomorrow?"

I lean toward her, looking her in the eyes before kissing her plump lips. "I'd like to do Leah's, if that is alright?" Bella nods her head at me and smiles. I give her another kiss and I hear coughing.

"They're like this all the time! I mean really, ALL THE TIME...and Bill, who moved here from England, said his mom told him that kissing girls makes your teeth fall out. I think Edward is going to be all gums soon." I look at Seth as everyone around the table starts to laugh.

"I'll remember this for when you find a girl you like," I tease.

Seth looks at me like I have grown another head and was speaking in a foreign language. "I'M NEVER, EVER having a girlfriend. Yuck! They're just boring. All they want to do is play with dolls and look pretty, and they shout at you when you get dirty. No way! I like being dirty. It's too much fun to waste, so I'm staying single." He shakes his head as if he's disgusted by the thought of having a girlfriend.

I chuckle as Bella gets up to get his cake. I watch her as she walks out the room. "Edward, can I have more juice please?" Leah asks, pulling my attention away from Bella.

I turn to look at her and nod. "Sure, Princess," I respond, leaning over to pick up the jug of orange juice and pouring more in her cup.

"Well, it sure didn't take you long to move your skanky ass in here. I take it you're fucking him now, you whore?" I look to the door, stunned by Rose's shrill voice.

I give Esme a look as I get up and she nods her head. "Seth, Leah, come on. Why don't you show me your rooms?"

They both look at me, then to the door were their sister is, and then back to me again. "Don't worry, I'll protect her. Go on with Esme." They nod their heads and leave, and I immediately run toward Bella.

"Ah... here he is. So, this is your little sex slave, then? Are you training her to take it just how you like it?" Rose looks at me smugly as Alice smiles hastily behind her.

"Rose, we talked about this. You... "

Rose cuts Emmett off by raising her hand. "So, have you been fucking her, too, Emmett? I mean, there must be some reason this whore is more important than I am. So are you? Are you all having a good romp with the low class tramp? I'm your wife, and you're supposed to be spending New Year's Eve with me. So are you, Uncle Carlisle. I'm your family, not that whore, and definitely not the fucking asshole there. You and Jasper should be ashamed of yourselves." Rose crosses her arms over her chest, resting them on her huge, pregnant belly.

"Rose, I'm not entirely sure who the fuck you think you are, but this is my fucking home. Get the fuck out now!"

Rose chuckles and shakes her head at me. "No, you asshole, I won't leave. This is my family. If you want me to leave, then you'll have to throw me out. Come on, be the big man you think you are and throw the pregnant woman out! No? Didn't think so, you asshole." Rose steps forward, pointing her finger in my face. "I fucking hate you, and I've started to believe that Tanya was right about you making your mama sick, 'cause it sure makes me ill just looking at you."

I just stare at her as she spews her garbage, and the pain in my chest starts almost immediately.

"Rose, that's going a bit too far. I told you this wasn't a smart idea. Come on, you need to calm down." I look to Alice as she pulls Rose by her arm away from me, but Rose shakes her off.

"No, Shorty, this whore is fucking with my marriage and yours. She is not taking my family from me. You three," she says, pointing at Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle, "are going to have to choose. It's me, or them! I mean it Emmett. I will divorce your ass if you stay friends with him." Emmett just gapes at Rose, and I can see his heart breaking over what she's doing. He looks to me, and I shake my head to say no. I motion for him to go with Rose. He looks torn as he rubs his face, and I see Jasper drag Alice away to the side of the room.

"Rose. Enough of this! What in the name of God has gotten into you? This behavior has to stop. Now! They're our family!" Carlisle finally comes out of his shock, but Rose just sneers at him.

"She is not my family. This was my time. It's supposed to be about me, but no, Edward picks up this whore and everyone forgets about me." A chuckle escapes me as I shake my head at her. I can't believe she's acting this way all because she isn't the center of our universe. "What the fuck are you laughing at, you pedophile?" Rose steps forward, raising her hand to smack me.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" I look down, noticing for the first time that Bella has moved and is now standing between Rose and myself. I grab her arm to pull her behind me, but she shakes me off.

"Oh, the little whore can speak," Rose sneers down at Bella.

"Enough!" Again Bella raises her voice, and Rose goes to speak but Bella cuts her off. "We heard it already and we all know what you think. I'm a whore, Edward's an asshole, and you don't want him to be a part of YOUR family. Well, guess what? That's your choice and your opinion. You've made it clear what you think and how you feel, now get out! Before you stomp your feet like a two year old, may I remind you again that you are pregnant? I mean, really. You have less than a month to go. Your bitter, rude behavior and anger isn't good for you or that poor baby.

And before you pass blame, you should realize that this is your fault. You're the one acting like an idiot here. I have no idea what your problem is and I no longer care. Edward is my family and I love him very much. I also love Emmett, Carlisle, Jasper, and Esme. Well, not in the same way I love Edward, more in the way I love Seth and Leah. Either way, I would never ask them to choose. If the only way they can keep you in their lives is for me not to be in theirs, then that's fine. I will walk away and thank them for all the love, support and help they've given me, and wish them the best. I love them enough to let them go, because their happiness is more important to me than my own. What about you, can you say that? I really don't get why you've been like this. I've done nothing to you or said anything about you. You sound like a... " Bella stops, waving her hand in the air, "well, I'm not going to say that because I will not lower myself to name calling. I wish you well, Rose. I really hope you find some inner peace somehow." Bella kisses my cheek and walks away.

"She may not reduce herself to name calling, but I will. You're a spiteful bitch just like our grandmother." Rose gasps and turns to Jasper. "You know what? I'm done with you, Rose. Who in the fuck knows what has got you so wound up, but I have had it with you. Don't ever go to my home again. You're not welcome there anymore." He turns, looks at Alice, and points his finger at her. "I meant every word I just said to her. Bella is my friend and I see her as a SISTER. The kind of sister I never had. I will not stop being friends with her or Edward. The same way I will not ask you to stop spending time with Rose or Siobhan. They're your friends, and I will never ask you to choose between us. I am, however, telling you right now. They're not welcome in my home unless, of course, you want me to move out." He sighs and rubs his face. "I've given them chance after chance and I don't fucking like them. I really hate Rose and her behavior at the moment. I love you, Alice, but we will never work as long you take shit out on Edward and Bella. I told you that it was Seth's birthday today and Leah's tomorrow. You knew this was planned and you just ruined it for him. He's a child, Alice. A fucking little kid. You've never even given Bella or the twins a chance, and she's been nothing but be kind to you. She shows more maturity in her nineteen years than you have in your twenty-eight."

Alice gasps and looks at him. "What are you talking about? She's twenty-four."

Jasper shakes his head sadly. "If you really listened when I talked to you, then you would know that she lied. She carried on a lie her mother made up, and has been raising those kids since their birth. The three of them have been on their own since she was only thirteen. Alice, she was nothing more than a fucking child, and you have no idea what the girl has been through. The hurt and abuse she suffered at the hands of not just her parents and uncle, but people like you and Rose, who seem to think it's okay to pull her down and call her names.

Not only did you all treat her like trash, but you've done it in front of her innocent brother and sister who are young, innocent children. I'll be going home and packing a bag, because right now I don't know who you are. You're nothing like the sweet, caring girl I fell for. I need to think about if I want to stay married to you, and I think you should think it over, as well. To be honest, Alice, you're not acting like you want to be with me." Alice goes to place her hand on Jasper, but he moves away from her. "No, Alice. I'm going to go say goodbye to the kids now and hope they accept my apologies." He looks at me and then walks away.

"Oh, I sure hope you're fucking happy, now, Edward. You just fucked up his marriage, too."

I look at Rose, feeling so fucking guilty about what has just gone down.

"No, Rose, Alice has done this all on her own, but you and I are going home now." Emmett pats my back before taking Rose by her arm and walking out with her. I know Emmett's far from happy, but would never talk about his marriage stuff in front of people; he is a very private person.

"I'm sorry... " I look toward Alice, who is now in tears. Carlisle shakes his head at her and walks away. "Edward, please... I'm so sorry."

I frown at her as I see Bella walking towards us, looking extremely upset. "Edward, why is Jasper crying?" Alice's face falls and more tears stream down her cheeks.

"It's okay, Baby. He's just a little upset."

Alice wipes her face, and I can that see she's trying hard to compose herself. "Isa... Bella, I'm really sorry... " Alice stops as she beings to cry again.

"It's kind of you to apologize. Thank you, Alice," Bella speaks as she moves around me. She turns and hands Alice some Kleenex. "Here you go. I'm sure you and Jasper can work things out. I'll keep you in my prayers."

Alice looks at her in shock. "Why? I've been nothing but a bitch to you."

Bella gives her a small smile. "Even female dogs need help from God sometimes. Some more than others. But at times when we're down, that's when everything goes wrong. When He is needed the most is when He will help if you have faith. Right now, I'm very happy and feel loved and secure, but I still need God's guidance, as I always will, but right now you need it more than I do. Between God and your family's love, you'll find the help you need, but it's up to you to accept it."

Alice just looks at Bella, and I can clearly see the shock on her face from the unconditional love that Bella is displaying for her. "Edward, Bella, I'm sorry I can't stay for cake. I'll talk to you both later," Jasper says as he gives Bella a hug. He hits my shoulder before leaving with Alice, who still looks like she's in shock.

"I'm sorry, Baby... " Bella cuts me off by kissing my lips in a soft kiss.

"This was in no way your fault. Do you think they're alright? I mean, do you think Alice and Jasper will make it through this? I'm not sure about Rosalie and Emmett," Bella says, frowning while she looks down.

"This is not your fault, Baby. Rose has always been like this in some way. I will say that this is the first time she's taken things this far, though. I really don't get why she's so pissed. It's more than just not being the center of everyone's universe."

Bella shrugs her shoulders. "I just hope Emmett makes it out of this okay," Bella says.

She hugs me and I wrap my arm around her, kissing her head softly. "Me, too, Baby. Let's get some cake."

We turn to go back in as Esme, Carlisle, Zafrina, and Aro walk down with Seth and Leah. Seth and Leah are both clearly upset. Leah immediately runs to us, hugging both Bella and me. As I feel Leah's tears hit my shirt, my anger rises up again. All I want to do right now is kill Rose. Where the fuck does she get off doing what she just did.

"Hush, Leah. It's okay, Princess. Everything will be okay, I promise you. Come on, let's get Seth's cake and he can blow out his candles."

We all walk into the kitchen as Bella is putting the candles on Seth's racecar cake. Once the candles are in place, she brings it over to him at the table. We all sing happy birthday to him, and I'm surprised as Leah sits on my lap hugging herself into me. It pisses me off that Rose has scared her this much. Seth pretty much stays on Bella's knee the rest of the night, too.

After everyone leaves for the evening, Bella bathes the kids as I call Jasper, who's staying at Carlisle and Esme's. He tells me that he'll come by in a few days to make sure Bella and the kids know that they're not to blame for what went on. I then try Emmett, but his phone is switched off and goes straight to voicemail. I leave a quick message telling him that I hope everything is all right.

We're all in the living room, and we've been dancing and singing for the past two hours. We're in a circle as the countdown for the New Year is about to begin. "You all remember what to do? We count down from ten to zero, and then we're all going to shout Happy New Year, okay?" Everyone nods their heads. I lock my eyes with Bella, giving her a smirk. "Alright here we go. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two... " Just before the clock strikes midnight, I place a gentle kiss on Bella's lips. "Happy New Year," we all say together. After hugs and kisses are given, we sit on the sofa.

"It's time to open your joint gift, and then it's off to bed." I watch as Bella looks between Seth and Leah as she speaks, and then I get up and head to my office to collect the gifts and bring them all out. I place the huge box containing everything between them and watch as they excitingly open it together.

"Yes! It's the same thing we played at the doc's house," Leah says excitedly.

"These are the games we played with Emmie. Thank you, Beeward," Seth says as he keeps his eyes on the games.

"Thank you, Beeward. I love it, too." Leah jumps up and hugs Bella and then me.

"I'm glad you both like it. Edward helped pick out the games. He says they're all the best ones. It is, however, time for bed now, but I promise that we can play these as much as you want tomorrow." Leah hugs me, giving me a kiss before heading upstairs with Bella following after her. I'm surprised as Seth does the same and then follows his sisters upstairs.

I clean up the mess in the living room and kitchen. It doesn't take me long, and I'm just putting away the glasses from tonight as Bella wraps her arms around me. "They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows. Thank you for today," she says placing a kiss in the center of my back.

I turn and take her in my arms. "Anytime, Baby," I tell her sincerely before kissing her head. I look her in the eyes as I stroke her cheeks with my thumbs. "Come dance with me for a little while?" Bella bites her lip, nods her head and smiles back at me shyly. I take her hand and lead her to the living room again. After I put on some soothing music, I pull her into my arms. Bella's not the most confidant dancer, but she enjoys it, and I really enjoy having her in my arms. As we dance, I pull her up, resting her feet on top of mine, and pull her closer to me. Bella wraps her arms around me and places soft kisses on my chest and neck. I kiss her neck and cheek, getting lost in her and the music playing in the background. Our kisses meet, and soon it's hard to tell where I end and she begins. The music is lost and my head is swimming from her kisses, but all too soon, I have to break away to catch my breath.

"Edward, can we go to our bed now? I want to be closer to you," I hear her whisper shyly.

"Yes, Baby," I reply, hitting the power button on the docking station. I pick her up, carry her to our bed, and lay her down gently. She has become a lot more confidant in the touching area, and I love giving her as much pleasure as I can. I've also discovered that Bella can be really vocal in what she likes, and I'm extremely glad she has enjoyed everything I have shown her so far.

**~HCV~**

"Hmmm..." I feel Bella's hand running though my hair and hear her giggles as I let out another humming sound. I pry my eyes open and look at her. "What has got you so happy this morning?" I ask, stroking her face with my thumb, and kissing her lips as I speak.

I feel her smile against my thumb that is now tracing her lips. "You. And, I had some nice dreams last night. I really like your bed. I'm going to miss it when I go home." I feel the pain in my chest and know that Bella is planning on all of them going home on the fourth because school begins again on the fifth. "Please don't be sad. You're still going to see me all the time." I look at Bella, knowing that she's trying to keep a strong front. And, there's a large part of me that doesn't want her to go home, but fuck, we've only been together less than a month. Would us living together permanently now be too soon?

I'm pulled from my thoughts by Bella straddling me and kissing my chest. I run my hands up and around her body, pulling her as close to me as I can. All too soon, Bella pulls away from me and blushes. "Sorry, about... um, you know..." Bella wiggles her hips and I groan, "but I need to get washed up and dressed before Seth and Leah get up." Bella kisses me one last time before jumping off of me and the bed and heading for the shower. I chuckle and roll over to my front. She is really fucking sexy. I love everything about her.

"Edward..." I turn to the bathroom door to see her poking her head out. I swallow hard when I see the top half of her naked body. "Could you wash my back?" She bites her lip, looking at me from under her eyelashes. "You could shower with me, you know. I could do your back, too, and it would save time and water." I love showering with Bella. I jump out of bed, catching her in my arms and walking into the shower with her.

"What else do you want me to wash?" I feel her blush and I chuckle.

I've never had shower sex, but after having some shower fun with Bella, it's now at the top of my list of things for me to do with her, once we get to that point in our relationship.

Both of us are dressed and making pancakes for breakfast. I've really begun to enjoy making meals, especially with Bella. I find that both of us work well together in the kitchen. Hell, we work well in every area together. I feel like I've known her all my life. I kiss Bella's head, wrapping one arm around her while the other moves to her hand on the handle of the pan as I help her flip the pancake. We catch it together as a gasping sound comes from behind us.

"Wow, Bella! That was amazing!" I look up to see Leah rubbing her eyes and Seth looking shocked.

"Happy birthday, Princess," I say as Bella puts down the frying pan and hugs Leah, whispering happy birthday in her ear.

"We have pancakes for breakfast. There are three flavors to choose from: banana, chocolate, and strawberry. So go and sit at the table." Seth and Leah walk over to the breakfast bar and take their seats. I pick up the tray with the silverware, cups of juice, and syrups on it while Bella follows me with the tray of pancakes and the plates. I smile at her as she sits down.

"They look like Mickey Mouse! How did you do that?" Leah asks as she looks at them.

I smile at her and chuckle. "Eric's been showing me how and I've been practicing all week."

After breakfast, Bella and I clean up the kitchen as the twins go get their clothes on. We spend the late morning and most of the afternoon playing on the new Wii game system. I find myself really enjoying it, and I'm not sure I've ever had this much fun playing a video game before. I never knew what Emmett's attraction to gaming systems was, but now I do.

"Come on, Bella, keep up," Seth teases making Bella chuckle.

"Yes, we won!" Bella and Leah say together as they jump up and down. Seth and I look at each other before raising our eyebrows at them. Bella looks over at us and gets a puzzled look on her face before shaking it off and smiling at us.

"Oh, don't be sore loser. We didn't pout when you won!" The entire time Bella's speaking, I can tell she's trying hard not to laugh.

"Well, I think you cheated," Seth says and I nod my head to agree with him.

"How can we cheat? It's not like we can bribe the game to let us win."

I look back at Seth, and he nods his head at me to say that he agrees that we should ask for a rematch. "Rematch. And this time you have to stand right next to me so I can keep an eye on you." I look right at Bella as I talk, and she chuckles before coming over to give me a kiss.

"Hey, don't let her put you off your game now! She's trying to cheat again with those kisses and gross stuff." I draw back from Bella, and when Seth looks at her, she blushes.

"Oh, you sly girl. I'm so on to you now. We," I point to Seth and I, "are going to cream you." Before I know it, we're back into a new game. The rest of the day is great. Leah loves her princess cake and her gifts. Bella helps me clean everything up before we head off to bed.

**~HCV~**

I haven't been looking forward to today. I've tried hard for the last few hours to change Bella's mind about it. I've been asking her, practically begging her, to stay at least one more night. It didn't work, though, so here we all are, climbing the stairs to Bella's apartment. Bella opens the door and I sigh as she walks in behind Seth and Leah. I sigh as well, putting the bags down. Seth and Leah take off their jackets and put them on the hooks by the door before going to sit on the sofa like Bella asked. I watch her leave the living room and I head out the front door to get the rest of the bags from the car.

"Oh my God... no... No!" I stop as I hear Bella's panicked voice screaming out from the kid's room. "Edward, are you still here?"

I look at Seth and Leah worriedly. "Both of you stay right there." They nod at me and I move quickly to their room.

"How could this have happened? Aro is going to be so mad at me... "

I walk into the kids' bedroom to see Bella griping her hair as she paces back and forth. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Bella looks up at me, worried and scared. "The carpet's all wet. I think the pipe must have burst." I look to the floor and move forward slightly, hearing the squishy sound the soaked carpet makes under my feet.

"Hush, Bella. This is in no way your fault. These pipes are old; this whole building is old. Besides, we had much colder weather than we normally ever get. They may have burst in the snowstorm for all we know. No one has really been in here since then. The apartment below you is empty, and Zafrina said they were remodeling it before it will be rented out again. I bet they don't even know about the leak yet," I say rubbing her back.

"What am I going to do? The hearing is coming up really soon, and Seth and Leah can't stay here."

I keep rubbing her back. "It'll be fine, my love. You can stay with me until this is all fixed. There's nothing you could've done, Bella, so don't worry so much."

Bella shakes her head. "But, I was sick and you had to watch them, and now this! I'm not doing my job right... They... "

I place my hand over her mouth to stop her from putting herself down and working herself up. "Bella, these things happen. Accidents are a fact of life. We'll be alright, and I promise you they will not take the twins from you. I will not allow them to."

Bella pulls back from me smiling, and mouths 'I love you'. "I better call Aro and let him know about this."

I shake my head at her and kiss her forehead. "Bella, I can do that. Let me take care of you, Baby." I watch as Bella looks sadly at me. "What's wrong, Baby? Tell me?"

She rubs her temples as if she now has a headache. "I'm just so scared."

I look at her and see her frown. "Why, Baby? What's got you so scared?"

I watch her take a few deep breaths, and the last one comes out with a slight sigh. "I know that you love me. Really, I do. I'm just scared and worried about how much I feel like I need you. I've never had anyone that I felt would keep me safe, or someone that would watch over me like I do with Seth and Leah, until you. You've changed my life so much, and it scares me how much I feel that I need you. If... if you found someone better, or if you got sick of me... of looking after them with me..." I start to interrupt her but she places her fingers over my lips. "I just don't know what I would do without you or how I would be able to do it. I don't think I can go back to how I was before. It worries me, because it makes me wonder if I could ever be strong enough to be everything they need me to be without you beside me."

I pull her towards me and look her right in the eye. "You're the strongest person I've ever met in my life, Bella. You can and will make it through anything because of how strong you are. Just so you know, though, I'll never leave your side willingly. Even if you found someone better than me, I'd still want to be a part of your life in any way you'd allow me. You are everything to me, Baby, and I'll take whatever you're willing to give me. I will always watch over you. I will find a way no matter where you are or where I am. But if I have it my way, we'll remain together forever, for all of eternity. Baby, the three of you are my life now."

I call Aro and he says that some of the other apartments had pipes burst as well, but he hadn't thought to check on Bella's. He's already organized for new ones to be put in, and tells me the work will be done by the middle of February. I smile at the fact I have another month with Bella at my house now. He assures me that the maintenance man will be right over to get the water turned off to the pipe leaking in the kid's bedroom.

With nothing left to do at Bella's, we all drive back to my house. It's a little strange that Seth and Leah aren't overly upset about their room being ruined. They said the only things that were important to them were the pictures Bella painted on the walls. It makes me smile that they care so much about the things Bella does for them, so I promised them that I would go over tomorrow morning and take the pictures of the walls, because I had a feeling that at least one or two would be torn out to replace the pipes.

**~HCV~**

School and college are back in session today, and I love getting ready like a normal family. We got the kids breakfast and off to school easily. Bella even made us all lunches before we left home. I brought Bella with me to the college like I promised, and I'm keeping her with me in my classroom the entire day. Since she and the twins are staying with me, she is refusing to take money for cleaning the house. She stated last night that she would do it because they were staying there. Aro has already told her that she doesn't need to pay rent or utilities this month because she's not staying there, so I'm hoping that money won't be an issue. She's starting back to work next Monday, and will be working full days at Midnight Sun.

We are sitting in the middle of my office on the sofa, and I can't help but kiss her. "So, how are you enjoying it so far?" I ask as she lays her head on my lap, gazing up at me.

"You're the greatest and best teacher I've ever seen." She grins at me.

I run my hand through her hair. "I'm the only teacher you've ever been in a classroom to see teach, so it would be hard to not be the best."

Bella blushes, looking down. "You're still good." Out of nowhere, she frowns and looks at bit puzzled. "Edward, can I ask you a question? Mike, I think that was his name. He was in the last class - the one that sat next to me... he was asking for my phone number." My hand pauses as my fingers are running through her hair. "Then he asked me to go to lunch with him. He wasn't happy when I said that I was having lunch with you, and then he told me that it was against the rules for us to have lunch together. Is he right? Are we breaking the rules?"

Bella looks back up at me and I shake my head. "No, we're not breaking any rules, Baby. It is against policy for a professor to start a relationship or date one of his students. It would especially be an issue if said student was enrolled in the professor's class. UW has strict rules against fraternization between the faculty and student body. The only exception would be if the student and Professor were married before the student started school here. However, those rules don't apply to you because you're not a student here at the college. He was probably just upset that you turned him down."

Bella looks at me as if she's trying to work out a puzzle. "But, I'm with you. Why would he think it was okay to ask me out?"

I chuckle a little and give her a big smile. "Because he sees a beautiful girl and wants her. Plus, he didn't know you were already taken."

Bella shakes her head and I can see she's not happy. "No, he did know because he asked if I was seeing someone. I told him that I was seeing you, and that I loved you."

I shrug my shoulders and refuse to let that boy bother me. "Baby, some guys like the challenge of steeling another guy's girl."

Bella gasps and looks at me in shock. "He really isn't a very nice person if he does that."

I nod my head at her. "No, he isn't."

Bella moves up to straddle me and kisses my face. I wrap my hands around her bottom and pull her closer. Just as I'm about to roll us over, there's a knock on my door. I groan and sit us back up while Bella fixes her top and a second knock sounds on the door. "Come in," I say, smiling at Bella as she blushes.

I look to the door and see Bree standing there, and she looks between Bella and me. "I'm sorry… um you said... I'll just go," she stutters out.

Bree starts to back out the door but I stop her. "Bree, wait. Please come in." Again, she looks between Bella and I, and she seems unsure if she should listen. "Bree, this is my girlfriend, Bella. Bella, this is Bree, one of my summer school students."

Bella smiles at Bree and motions for her to join us. "Hello, Bree. Nice to meet you. There's some food here if you'd like something to eat, and we have some juice too. Edward, I need to go see Marcus. I'll be back before your next class starts." Bella leans in to kiss me and whispers in my ear. "She looks sad. I love you." Without another word, Bella jumps up and waves before leaving my office as I stand up.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean... "

I hold up my hand to stop her. "Bree, why don't you help me pick this up and we can talk. I have another fifty minutes before my next class." Bree nods her head before coming over to help me pick up the remnants of lunch and our little picnic. "So, how's school going?"

Bree lets out a sigh. "It's not really going... That's kind of why I'm here, actually. I don't know what to do anymore. He's becoming more aggressive, and it's really scaring me. The worst part is that he knows he has this power of fear over me, and he's using it to control everything I do."

I look at Bree and see that she's now clutching the blanket and crying. "Bree, have a seat," I tell her, moving her to sit on the chair in my office. I hand her a bottle of water and the box of tissues from my desk. I wait for her to calm down a little before I ask. "Bree, who is it that's scaring you?"

She looks up at me and I can see the fear in her eyes. "James... I mean Mr. Hunter."

I swallow, realizing that I had forgotten to keep an eye on this whole thing. "Bree, you need to tell me what's been happening so I can help you. I promised that I would help you before, and I will."

She nods her head at me. "It all started eighteen months ago. At first, he would just give me dirty looks. Then he started having this intense look about him, and it made my skin crawl. I wanted to be anywhere but there having him looking at me like that. Everyone else loves him, and thinks he's the best teacher and person around. I even thought for a while it was just me being a paranoid teenager."

I smile at her, nodding my head in understanding. I think I was the most rebellious teenager there ever was. "But then he started saying stuff to me. Not much to begin with, just that my work was all wrong and I wasn't trying hard enough. I spent hours doing my work and would even double and triple check it. No matter how much time and effort I put into it, he would say it was all wrong. Sometimes I don't think he even looked at my work. He started telling me that I was to stay behind after class. He even ripped up my work and said that I was a lazy girl and will go nowhere in life.

It went on from there, getting worse and worse. He made me too afraid to answer questions, and I got to where I couldn't even think straight. He would single me out every time in class, and I would always get it wrong. Then he would sigh loudly, and I felt like he was making fun of me. It happened so frequently that he had the rest of the class laughing at me, too.

It was a year ago when everything really changed, though. He started whispering in my ear, and, of course, everyone always thought he was just giving me words of encouragement. He was really telling me how, if I want to pass his class, I will have to give him my ass. It seems to be his favorite saying to me- 'give me your ass, and you'll pass my class'. When no one else is around, he touches me. He likes to put his hands on my breasts. One time he pinched them so hard that I was left with a bruise. When I said I would report him, he tripped me on the steps and told the nurse he saw me fall over my own two feet. She's always been flirty with him, so she didn't even bother to ask me what happened. I'm afraid of him. He says if... if I don't do those things with him, than I'll never graduate. The day I saw you in Forks, he cornered me in the janitor's closet and he made me... he made me touch him. I can't do it anymore, Professor. He really scares me." At this point, Bree is breaking down into body wrenching sobs.

I pull out my phone and text Bella to come back and to bring Marcus with her. "Bree, thank you for telling me. I promise to help you. I know it wasn't easy to trust me, but I want you to know that you've done the right thing by talking to me. I've just sent a text to Bella, and she's on her way back here now." Bree looks at me, and I can see the fear in her eyes. "I need to deal with this as soon as possible, so I thought you would prefer to sit with Bella rather than another teacher or a man." I clear my throat at the end and give her a tentative smile.

"She's really nice. She's the janitor here, isn't she? I remember seeing her this summer. I was outside crying before your class one day, and she was so nice to me. I remember that she said that I should talk to you, that you would help me." I smile, nodding my head at her. Just then Bella and Marcus both come into my office.

"Bella, will you please stay here with Bree until I come back. And, would you inform my next class that it's cancelled for the day?" Bella nods her head at me. "If I'm running late, I'll call and have Esme pick up Seth and Leah from school, and then come by here to collect you and Bree to take you home." Marcus frowns, so I nod my head at him, indicating that we need to talk, but that we should leave the room first. I quickly kiss Bella's head and gently pat Bree's arm before leaving the room.

"Okay, Edward, what the hell is going on?"

I sigh, rubbing my face roughly before telling Marcus everything that Bree had said to me. It takes the better part of three hours, but Caius is headed to Forks to talk to Mr. James Hunter, and the police have come and interviewed Bree. Since she had already turned eighteen, she didn't need a parent present, but asked that Bella stay with her. I went ahead and called Esme to have her pick up Seth and Leah from school.

It's late afternoon now, and I'm driving a very upset Bree back home. Bella decided to sit in the back with her so she wasn't alone. I'm so fucking proud of Bella and the way she's showing such compassion for Bree. I know that Bree has found Bella's presence in this a huge help. Bree asked us if we would help tell her mom what's happened. Her mother is completely deaf, which is the reason Bree has not told her about the situation. Bree said that none of her teachers knew sign language, so she would always have to translate for every meeting. I, however, can use sign language. It was one of the first secondary languages I learned. I always thought it was strange that schools would teach you German, French, Spanish, or a few others, but never sign language. I found it odd, because there is a greater chance of needing sign language than there is of needing German. I mean, I can honestly say that I've run into more people in the United States who are deaf, than those with the inability to speak English.

It's a little after six when I pull up to Bree's house. Bella and Bree get out of the car together, and we make our way up the path. A frantic woman opens the door, and as we get closer I see that it's none other than Sienna Morris - the girl who made my life at school hell for nine years. She looks at Bree and then glances at Bella before her eyes fall on me and grow wide. I know instantly that she knows who I am. At that, she begins signing to Bree.

*What the hell is going on, Bree? The school called to say you weren't there again. Tell me what is going on!*

Bree looks at her mother and begins crying again. I step up and speak out loud as well as sign to Sienna. "Hello, Mrs. Tanner. You may remember me. My name is Edward Masen. I was Bree's professor during her summer classes. This," I point to Bella, "is my girlfriend, Bella. May we please come in? We really need to talk with you." She looks at me and nods her head, leading us inside. I sit on the sofa with Bella next to me while Bree is on her other side and Sienna sits on the seat across from us.

It takes a little while to go through everything with Sienna, and she looks completely despondent now that the information has been passed on. Bree excused herself to go to her room almost immediately, and Bella went with her initially, but is now in the kitchen making some tea for us.

Sienna signs *Thank you so much for helping her. I wish she had told me about this. I knew something was going on, but I didn't know what. She always loved school before, but then suddenly seemed to hate it. I can't believe I failed her like this.*

I place my hand on top of Sienna's, shaking my head in disagreement. "No. Mr. Hunter is to blame here. He's the predator. This was not your fault. Bree has stepped forward and told us what's been happening, and now we're going to fix it. He's the only one to blame for this."

Sienna lets out a sigh. *I'm so sorry for how I treated you back in school. God, I was an awful bitch. I'm so glad Bree is more mellow like her father. Then again, if she was like I used to be maybe... * She shakes her head as if to clear it. *I'm sorry.*

I chuckle a little and shake my head as well. "Sienna, it was a long time ago. Everything that happened is all just water under the bridge now. Don't worry about it."

She gives me a smile and pats my hand before signing again. *I use to think this was my punishment. Just after you changed schools when your mother was ill, I was in an accident. I could have died, but instead I lost my hearing. When I was finally able to return to school, I started getting bullied. It was then that I truly saw what I had done to you. I even wrote you a letter, but had no address to send it to. I still have it, and I'd like to give it to you now.* She walks out the room for a minute, coming back with a letter in her hand which she hands to me. I can see from the look of the envelope that it's been around for ages. *Please take it. If you don't mind, can I ask you to do one thing before you leave?" * When I nod my head in agreement, she asks me to call her husband, who is out of town on business, and request that he come home.

The first person I speak with is Mr. Tanner's boss. I inform him of the issues going on, and after our conversation, he gets Mr. Tanner so I can explain the situation to him as well. I agree to help get Mr. Tanner on the next flight home, and his boss agrees to give him a paid leave of absence for the next two months. Bree's father will be home in less than thirty-six hours, and I honestly feel a bit relieved knowing that. Bella is sitting with Sienna while I make the phone calls. When I'm done, I find myself sitting here in the kitchen, staring down at the unopened letter in front of me. I decide now is as good a time as any to read it.

_Dear Edward Masen,_

_I know that I'm the last person you would ever want to read a letter from, and I can't blame you. I ask that you at least read the whole thing to hear me out before you rip it up or burn it. I want to start by saying that I'm very sorry for all of the mean and terrible things that I did to you. I was mean, rude, abusive, hurtful, hateful, and did so many things to you that I am extremely ashamed of. You were never mean to me at all, and the way that I treated you was deplorable. Even I see my past actions as something that is appalling. I want you to know that fate and karma do work. I no longer am a person who bullies others for things I see wrong with or about them. I'm now the person everyone whispers about or picks on. I'm sorry that I ever made you feel like this, because now I truly know what it feels like to be the person everyone lives to treat poorly. I don't want your sympathy, but I do hope that someday you might find the kindness in your heart to forgive the actions of a bratty, mean spirited girl who enjoyed making your life hell. I hope someday that you are able to find the happiness you deserve._

_Sienna Morris_

I refold the letter and place it back in the envelope. Had I read this note six months ago, I would have laughed it off as some form of sick joke. Now I feel as if this note – and everything in it – was written with the utmost sincerity. As the weight of hatred I have carried over the years is lifted slightly, it makes my heart feel lighter.

Moving back into the room where Sienna and my baby are sitting, I quickly sign and speak the information about Mr. Tanner's return. We exchange contact information before everyone says goodnight. When we finally leave the house to head home, it's already nine at night.

The drive home is long and neither of us talk much. We head right for bed as soon as we walk in the door, falling asleep almost immediately because the last few days have been some of the most stressful days we've ever experienced.

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><p><strong>AN: Well now Bree being in the story before is making more sense, isn't it? What do you think is going to happen? Edward had a bad feeling about James Hunter when they met in Forks, first impressions are always telling. Lot's of things going down fast as the story is winding to a close. What are your thoughts about Rose? Alice? The next chapter is going to be good, and don't forget after the next chapter posts, you will all get your chance to read Bella's thoughts because Enduring His Cimmerian View will post the first out-take in BPOV after it posts. We are going to aim for a Saturday posting day after Chapter 24 posts next Thursday. We love the questions and theories you're all coming up with. Feel free to share them in a review reply or you can find us online on Facebook by checking out the group: TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction. Chapter 24 is titled: First Times... bet that might be one you've been waiting for. Hugs, Kasi (&Nikky)**

**PS... on a side note, on behalf of myself and my children, thank you to those of you who have sent your well wishes and prayers in our time of loss. I will forever miss my mother, and I am grateful for the wonderful support in my RL friends and my FF friends. Thank you, Kasi~**


	24. Chapter 24

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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**TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction**

* * *

><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 24: First Times**

I wake up before the alarm goes off and watch Bella as she sleeps in my arms. She's more on me than the bed, but I'm perfectly fine with that. It isn't as if she's heavy; she still weighs next to nothing. It makes me feel complete to have her in my arms, and I love it. I never thought I would want to have this type of life or relationship, but with Bella I do. I snuggle my girl closer and smile as she lets out a soft sound of content. When I see that she's still asleep, I kiss her forehead.

I let out a long sigh as I stare at the ceiling and remember everything that happened yesterday. I feel guilty that I never checked-up on Bree after I saw her that day in Forks. I had the feeling there was something fishy going on with Mr. Hunter. I mean, fuck, he could've really hurt her. I just hope Bree's strong enough to get through the next week or so. In a situation like this, the first few weeks are the worst. After that, other people tend to step forward with similar claims. Before we left last night, I gave Bree Bella's and my home number, as well as our cell numbers. I just hope she will use them to call us when, or if, she needs to talk.

The sounding alarm brings me back to the present as Bella start to wake up. "Morning, handsome. Did you sleep alright last night?" she asks, reaching to turn off the alarm.

I smile at her and pull her close to me again. "Hmm... I did," I say, burrowing my face into her neck.

Bella strokes my head and I close my eyes as her fingers run through my hair. "I don't really know much about the ins and outs of this stuff, but I'm here if you want to talk about Bree. What I mean is... I'm a good listener."

I rub the top of her leg as I look into her eyes. "I know you are, Baby. You're fucking great at a lot of stuff. We'll talk later on today, okay?"

Bella nods her head and jumps off of me. "Edward, can I work a few hours at Midnight Sun today if I promise not to do too much?" I watch her put on her housecoat as she turns to me with her sad, pouty face.

I chuckle at her. If only she knew just how well that face works on me. "I need to put in a few hours at lunch and dinner this evening, so I guess you can come in with me. I'll call Esme and Zafrina to see if one of them can watch Seth and Leah." Bella smiles brightly at this, and I know she's excited to get back to work. "But I want you to stay with me behind the bar."

Bella rolls her eyes and nods her head at me. "Okay, just as long as you can keep your hands to yourself!" I look at her in shock. "Remember, no PDA at Midnight Sun while you're working," she says in her stern voice. She raises her eyebrows at me, mimicking the same speech I had given Stefan and Katie last week when I caught them making out behind the bar.

"Yes, Ma'am," I say with a smirk. Bella jumps over to me, kisses my cheek, and then heads out to start breakfast. I wash up and head down and see my new family talking away in the kitchen. "Good morning, Seth and Leah."

They both turn around, smiling at me. "Morning, Edward," they say together. I sit at the table and pour myself some coffee. As Bella comes to put the toast on the table, she kisses me on the head. "I'm making breakfast for everyone, so stay in your chairs. Here are your big choices: Lucky Charms, Cheerios, Apple Jacks, Corn Flakes, or Grape Nuts. What kind of cereal would you like?"

We all chuckle and tell her our choices, and she goes about getting everything ready. Once she has the bowls filled and on the table, she takes her seat beside me and rests her right hand on my left thigh. I love that my girl knows it's okay to touch me and show me love, too. After eating our cereal, we get the kids ready for school and head out the door.

**~HCV~**

Bella and I are picking up Seth and Leah from school today. We're running a little ahead of schedule, but that's a good thing since I just received a phone call. Bree's father, Liam, got back into town about two hours ago, and after speaking with his wife and daughter, he called me. "Sienna doesn't remember the head guy you were talking about yesterday. Can you give me his name please?"

I can clearly hear how hard it is for Liam to hold it together. "Sure. His name is Caius Macari. He oversees all of UW and its many satellite campuses, but is also well known in the high schools here in the peninsula area. Look, I could call him for you if it would make it easier. I've got his personal numbers, and I can have him call you back."

I hear Liam sigh in the other end. "Thank you, Mr. Masen. That would be great. I just don't know what to do. Bree didn't want to go to school today, so Sienna let her stay home, but I don't want her to fall behind in her studies. At the same time, I don't want her to have to face this shit at school. I know she'll have to face it at some point, but I swear, if any of those fuck..."

I hear him take a breath, so I choose to intervene. "I understand completely, and please, call me Edward. My best advice would be to have a meeting with the school board immediately. They are fully aware of everything that's happened, but you should request a meeting anyway. Take Bree with you and have her tell them what they can do to make things better for her, and make sure she tells them what she wants. Request that they assign at least three different people throughout the school – who Bree knows and trusts – who she can go to at any time. Most importantly, make sure that you tell her that this is not her fault and she isn't to blame for this in anyway at all. Bree's a very bright girl. If this does become too much for her, which I hope doesn't, she has options. She could do the course work online. In fact, I believe there may even be some college courses that high school students can take, as well. When I call Caius Macari, I'll make sure he's aware that you need to know what options are available for Bree. Caius is a very good man, and when he calls you back, I'm certain he'll have the information you need."

Liam clears his throat. "Thank you, Mr. Masen... Edward. Not just for now, but for yesterday, too."

I get out of my car and start to make my way over to where Bella is waiting for the bell to ring. "Mr. Tanner, please call me anytime. I'm here for you and your family if you need anything at all." As I hang up my cell, I can see that the group of 'holier-than-thou' housewives are having their little conversation. From the way they cackle and look over their shoulders at Bella, I know she's the object of their disdain. I sigh heavily, making my way to Bella. I notice that, as I do, most of the women look my way. A good number of them are giving me what I'm sure they think is a sexy smile. I mean, really? We're at a school to pick up children, for fucks sake! Most of them are probably married. Either that or this is a school full of divorced families. I mean, yeah, I know I'm not bad to look at, but really? I'm not even dressed up right now and their attention is just revolting.

I reach Bella and wrap my arms around her from behind. "I'm sorry about that, Baby," I say loud enough for the bitch pack to hear. I kiss the side of her head and make sure to keep her wrapped in my arms. "Have I told you how much I love having you in my arms?"

Bella leans back, turning her head to look at me. "Yeah, you have; last night and this morning." I chuckle as everyone seems to stop talking and now look like fish out of water as they stare at Bella and me.

"Well I meant it, and I will tell you every day because I want you to know just how true it is. There is nothing in this world better than waking up with you in my arms."

Bella blushes and her hand moves up to my face so she can rub my cheek. "I love being in your arms, too." I softly kiss her lips but pull back when I hear the sound of the school bell. As the children run out, I notice that most of the women are still looking between Bella and me.

"Beeward!" I hear both Seth and Leah call as they run into our arms.

"How was school?" I ask as we walk to my car.

"It was great! I got a perfect score on my spelling test again, and Mr. Stroker wants me to try out for the spelling bee at Easter time."

Bella gasps and pulls Leah in for a hug. "That's really great! I'm so proud of you."

I smile as I open the car door. "That's really something, Princess. Well done." I look to Seth who looks a little sad. "What about you, Little Man? How was your day?"

Seth looks at me and I can clearly see that he's unhappy. "I wanted to try out for the school band, but Mrs. Miller wouldn't let me. She said that I could only be in the band if I had an instrument at home to practice with." I feel my blood boil. What kind of teacher does that?

"I'm sorry, Seth. What instrument did you want to play?" Bella asks, and when I turn to look at her, I notice she too is upset about this.

"It really doesn't matter, Bella. It's too late anyway. She picked them all out already. She even included John, and he doesn't have an instrument at home. I just don't think she likes me."

I watch as Bella squeezes his hand. "I'm really sorry, Seth. I'll try to see how much it would cost. Maybe I can get you a guitar or some drums."

Seth shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders in defeat. "Bella, it's fine. Can we just go home now, please?" Without another word, Seth turns away from Bella. It's clear he's done talking for now. I watch Bella slowly stand and frown as she looks toward the school and then to me.

After I get Leah's door closed, I walk around to Bella. "Baby, I'll deal with this, don't worry. I have a bunch of instruments at Esme's. Seth can have them all. But this teacher of his is out of line. I'll make sure this issue is resolved, okay? Don't let it worry you or ruin our night. Let me help you with this." I raise my eyebrows at her, knowing how much she likes it when I help.

She chuckles and kisses me, running her thumb over my brow. "Okay, but not today. Let's get home and have some family time." I nod my head and open her door, letting her get in. The drive home is quiet, and as soon as we're in the house, Seth takes off his jacket and shoes and heads to his room.

The evening didn't improve much either. Seth only came out of his room to join us for dinner, and then went right back in when we were finished.

I know Bella took it hard when he didn't come out to say goodbye before we left to go back to Midnight Sun. Esme had even brought my old guitar and drum set over with her when she came, as well has her mother's violin that she had never learned to play. Emmett also said that we could have his saxophone.

"He'll be fine, Baby. Do want me to talk to him tomorrow?" I ask, kissing Bella's head as she restocks the bar.

Bella shakes her head at me. "No, it's okay, Seth always takes things like this to heart, and he normally stays locked in his room to think about everything. It's normal and usually only lasts a day or two. I just don't get why she won't let him play. He's tried every quarter this year, and she always turns him down. She won't even listen to how well he can play."

I sigh, bending down to her level. "I don't know... maybe he's better than she is and that intimidates her. Whatever it is, I'll be sorting it out tomorrow, so don't worry about it." I kiss her head and then aim for her lips, but she shakes her head and gives me the look!

"No public display of affection between co-workers at Midnight Sun is acceptable." I chuckle and go back to serving drinks.

The evening goes by rather quickly, and Bella does fucking great behind the bar. This is the first time back at work for her after being released from the hospital. All I can say is I really missed her being here with me.

**~HCV~**

Bella and I are making a hot breakfast today. I'm also planning to request a meeting at the school regarding Seth's music teacher. There is no way that I will allow this bullshit to continue. The teacher should be required to listen to any child who wants to try out. We all sit down to eat, and we're only a few minutes into our meal when Seth jumps up from his seat and hugs Bella tightly. "I'm really sorry, Bella. I was mean to you yesterday." I can hear the sob in his voice which pisses me off even more.

"Seth, it's fine. We all have bad days; times we just need to be alone to think things through. I'm glad you feel better now, though," she says as she kisses his head.

He gets up and wipes his eyes before looking at me. "I'm sorry, Edward, and thank you for loaning me the instruments."

I smile at him and pat his shoulder. "It's alright, Seth, and as for the instruments, they're yours and Leah's now."

Seth smiles at me and Leah gasps. "Thank you so much, Edward. I'd love to try them, but I think they're more Seth's kind of thing."

Seth goes back to his seat and starts eating his breakfast as we begin talking about the instruments. I explain to Seth that I can help with the piano, guitar, and drums, and that I'm sure Emmett will be happy to help him learn the saxophone. As for the violin, I would need to look it up, but I was positive that I could at least help him with it a little.

I get Seth to tell me more about the music teacher as we talk. Hearing that she has never heard him play, or even allowed him the chance to play anything, shocks me. He goes on to tell me that she's John's aunt, and that he always calls her Aunt Maggie. By the time we drop them off, I am beyond pissed. I text my assistant, asking her to set up the classroom and hand out the quiz sheets that are on my desk.

I hold Bella's hand as we make our way to the school office and give the secretary a look as she fiddles with the papers on her desk. When she finally gives us her attention, I tell her we need a word with the principal.

A few moments later, Mrs. Crown comes out of her office. "What can I do for you, Miss Swan?" Her tone is callous and almost dismissive.

"I would like a word, Mrs. Crown," I say, stepping in front of Bella. She glances at me for the first time and huffs before turning to walk back into her office.

"So, what can I do for you?"

I take a deep breath before speaking, because her curt, dismissive attitude is really pissing me off. "I'm here to speak to you regarding the school band."

She sighs heavily, releasing a big huff of air. "Mrs. Miller has the final say on all band participants. I assume that Miss Swan involved you because Seth wasn't included? As you know, he hasn't had any musical lessons, and we only have space for three kids from the second grade class."

I raise my eyebrows at her. "That's where you're wrong, Mrs. Crown. I've been teaching him at home, and if you listened to him play, you would know just how good he is. My problem is that everyone who wanted to try out for the band should have been given the opportunity. However, Mrs. Miller cut him off, giving him a bullshit excuse as to why he couldn't even try out. But you know what? He's too good to be in this lowly band, anyway. Believe me when I say this, I have never heard anyone Seth's age play as well as he does. I do believe that you know who my father was, and are well aware of how deep my knowledge of music is. This is far from over, but I'll leave it for now. You should know that I will be speaking to people above you about the obvious bigotry the staff displays toward certain students here." I stand up, take Bella's hand, and walk out without another word.

As we start driving, Bella holds my hand. "Since you're so late and I have some time, just drive straight to the college and I'll take the bus from there."

"I can drive you. Tia can cover for a while longer..."

"Don't argue, Edward. I have more than an hour before Taylor is expecting me at Midnight Sun. Please just drive to the college."

I shake my head at her and chuckle. "Yes, Baby." As I'm driving, I think about the different music programs at the college. "Hey, Baby? There are a few different band programs that use the college for practice space and concerts. I think I'll look into them to see if any of them accepts students in Seth's age group, okay?"

Bella smiles at me, nodding her head. "I think that's a wonderful idea. It would be great if there was a band he could join. Thank you for always taking such wonderful care of us."

"I love you, Baby," I say as I pull into the college lot and park.

"I'll see you at lunch time, and don't let Tia do all the work."

I smile, giving her a hug and kiss. I pat her on her bottom before she turns to make her way to the bus stop. When she gets there, she turns to wave, so I smile, blow her a kiss, and then grab my briefcase from the trunk before heading into the college.

**~HCV~**

I'm in the middle of teaching when my phone rings. "Excuse me. Tia, please carry on for me." Tia gives me a smile and takes over from where I left off. "Hello, Caius. I was just going to step into my office. How can I help you?"

I hear some chatter in the background. "Edward, I'm sorry for bothering you. Everything here is a big clusterfuck right now. I was just calling to give you an update on the Bree Tanner situation. We've had three more ex-students come forward with allegations claiming that Mr. Hunter did similar things to them, so the state police have taken over the case. I was one of the people they called in to assist, as they're planning to speak to all of his ex-students. The officers got here yesterday and worked through last night and this morning. They need to speak to you, as well." I sigh, rubbing my face, even though I had already expected this information. "This looks really fucking big, Edward. From what I've gathered, he targets a student in their junior year, mostly just degrading them at first. Then, when they enter their senior year, he starts to get physical with them at the same time he begins the process with another student. The three girls that came forward were manipulated into sleeping with him. Due to the fact they were all over eighteen at the time, they can't get him for statutory rape, but are charging him with aggravated rape and extortion."

I pull at my hair, hoping that James gets a shitty lawyer. A good one could use this to their advantage. "What's the bond amount he's being held on?"

There is a loud sigh and a chill travels down my spine. "Nothing. He was released pending charges after questioning. The charges were just filed, so now the officers are on their way to pick him up again." We talk a little more about some other things before saying our goodbyes.

The rest of the day passes in a blur. The State Police being here is making life more stressful than it already is. Marcus sent in extra counselors and staff to help out with the backlash of shit that's going on in Forks.

By the end of the week another three ex-students have come forward claiming that Mr. Hunter forced them into physical relationships with him. A current student has also come forward to say he had just recently started verbally abusing her.

**~HCV~**

Another week passes and James Hunter is missing. The fact that he is roaming free has caused Bree to shut down on a few occasions, but she calls Bella frequently and talks to her. Sienna has called me a few times and speaks very highly of Bella. She was a little shocked about how young Bella was, but got over it quickly. She's often praised Bella on how mature she acts and her ability to cheer Bree up on her bad days. Bree's father has become a friend of mine, and he often calls me trying to get another male perspective on things. He decided to leave his job permanently, and is currently looking for work here in Seattle. The whole family will be moving here this summer since Bree is planning to attend UW for college in the fall.

**~HCV~**

Bella and I went to the hospital to see Emmett, Rose, and their new baby. Rose had a healthy, but large, baby boy after being in labor for twenty hours. Bella and I popped in with gifts and flowers for Rose after stopping by the nursery to see their new baby. She was still standoffish, and Emmett commented that she was not happy when they informed her that it was a boy. I guess she was hoping for a girl. I have no idea why she didn't find out the sex earlier on in the pregnancy. After only a few minutes, Bella and I collected Seth and Leah - who were still at the nursery with Esme - before coming home.

It was a few days later that Emmett called to say that Rose was still unhappy, and has completely refused to hold their son. He was clearly and understandably upset because Rose flat out refused to even give the baby a name. She told Emmett to call his son 'It' for all she cared. Emmett decided to name him on his own, and came up with Christopher Anthony after his two best friends. Christopher is Jasper's middle name and Anthony is mine. He's now almost three weeks old, and Rose has yet to hold him even once.

Bella took the state equivalency test this morning. When I spoke to her about it, she said that she thought she did well, but was glad that she had a test reader there. Her reading ability is that of about ninth grade, but that's really fucking great considering. She's come such a long way, and I know for a fact that she has a high IQ level.

I'm on my way home now. Esme and Carlisle are taking the twins until Sunday so Bella and I can celebrate Valentine's Day early since it falls on a Tuesday this year, and is the same day of the court hearing. We decided to take this weekend to spend together.

I open the door to my house, hearing chatter in the kitchen. I make my way there, and as I enter I have to hold back a laugh at the site before me. Seth and Leah are sitting at the table eating muffins while Bella and Esme are at the counter. Bella is covered almost head to toe in flour. I let out a chuckle as both women turn to face me.

"Esme is showing me how to make my own muffins!" Bella smiles at me as her eyes twinkle with excitement. She puts down the bowl and rubs her hands on her apron as she makes her way to me.

"I missed you," I say, kissing her mouth. As I pull back, she smiles and laughs a little.

"I got flour on you," she says before wiping my face with a dish towel.

"Yeah, but Baby, I think you got more on yourself." Bella blushes as she makes her way back to the counter as I sit and talk to Seth and Leah about their day at school. I managed to get Seth into a youth group band after talking to the instructor. He agreed to let Seth play in front of the group, and as soon as they heard him play each instrument, they re-worked their regulations so that he could join. We're just waiting on the paperwork to come back allowing a child under the age of ten to join, and then he will be able to start with them officially.

"Well, the last batch is ready to go in the oven, Bella. I'm going to head out now with Seth and Leah, and let the two of you enjoy your evening."

Bella and I walk Esme, Seth, and Leah to the car. Bella's much happier about the twins staying overnight with Esme and Carlisle now that we've become closer. I know it's mainly because Esme has been spending a lot of time mothering Bella. Bella trusts her, and she knows that the kids are in great hands when they go there.

We enjoy our romantic dinner together in the candlelit dining room. Holding her close and dancing in the living room with the fireplace and a few candles offering light was even more romantic. When we're seated once again, I give her the gifts I bought for her and watch her eyes sparkle as she opens them. The large, stuffed teddy bear was almost as big as her, but so light and fluffy. I smile as she hugs it and smells the soft fur. I also got her a new dress to wear when we go out, and several other small trinkets. I had tried to pick out a necklace for her, but couldn't find the perfect one. For the first time in nine years, I regretted selling my mom's jewelry. My mom had a necklace that she wore all the time; it was the one that I was going to give to Tanya originally. It would look so amazing on Bella. There was also my mom's wedding and engagement rings. I want to ask Bella to marry me, and know she should be the one to have them. I've been trying to find out who bought them, but haven't had any luck in my search so far. The pawn shop I sold the jewelry to is no longer open, and the owner passed away two years ago.

"I have a gift for you, but you need to come upstairs to get it." I raise my eyebrows at her and she blushes when I do.

I follow her up the stairs, and when she asks me to sit on the bed, I comply. Without another word, she heads into the bathroom leaving me at a loss as to what she has for me. I'm about to go to the bathroom to get her when she walks out, and I can't say anything. I'm speechless. The air has left my body and I'm not sure how to make my lungs work. Finally gasping in a deep breath, I blink my eyes several times. I watch as Bella moves over to the dressers and lights the candles. I watch her intently as she moves over to the wall switch and turns off the overhead light. The whole room is cast in a glow of dim candlelight. Bella walks over and stands before me, and I'm still unable to say anything. I've never been rendered speechless until now.

"Edward, do you like part one of my gift to you?"

I nod my head and try swallowing. "Ye... yeah," I manage to stutter out.

"Chas promised me that you would like this outfit. She said that you would really like me in this. Do you like it Edward?"

"Yes," I say nodding. I'm a man of not so many words right now.

Bella's hands come down to my shirt and start to unbutton it as her hands make her way down my chest. Pulling the shirt tails from my pants, she pushes the shirt off my shoulders. "Edward, honey, can you help me here?"

I stand quickly and finish shrugging off my shirt, and then her fingers are pulling up the undershirt I have on. As her fingertips glide across my skin, my cock twitches, aching to be free. Bella has become much more open and liberal with her touches since she knows they're welcome advances. Her fingers find purchase on the closure of my pants, and soon they're dropping to my feet. I step out of them, and her fingers glide around my back and tuck into the waistband of my boxer briefs. Her lace and silk covered chest is pressed against my front. I duck down and kiss her without touching her body yet. Breaking my mouth free, I move to her neck and nip at her smooth flesh.

"Edward, these have to come off," she says, tugging my boxer briefs down my legs.

"Baby, what are you planning?" I ask in a panting voice.

"I want you to unwrap your gift," she says, looking up at me with a smile on her face.

The smile she gives me incapacitates both my brain and mouth. "Bab... are... um, are you... are you sure?"

Her smile grows wider and she points to the front of the nightie she's wearing. "It's rather simple, Edward. Just pull on this bow and the top part falls down."

My hand makes its way from my side and cups her cheek. "You know you don't have to do any of this, right?"

"I want to do this... more than anything. I'm yours Edward; all of me. I'm yours, and you're mine. Tonight I get to claim you, and I want you to claim me, too. I know I don't always say it correctly, but this was meant to be, and it's exactly what I want. I want to be yours forever as you are mine. I love you with every part of me, and tonight I want you to show me how much you want and love me. My gift to you - and to me - is us making love. Now, unwrap your gift. I've already unwrapped mine."

Moving my mouth back to hers, I kiss her deeply. "Baby," I say against her lips. "I want you so much. There are so many things that scare me, though. I don't want to hurt you... " My words are stopped as her fingers settle over my lips.

"Edward, we have both known for months that this would eventually lead here. I know that you were tested because I was with you when Carlisle took your blood. We've both come back clean and clear. Carlisle assures me that I'm perfectly healthy, and he even told me that he knew you would take care of me. Please stop over-thinking this. I love you and I want you more than anything." As she speaks, her nails move up and down my chest, as they stroke up, she grabs my neck and pulls my mouth back to hers. Withdrawing after we both need air, she looks me in the eye. "I want this, Edward. I really want this."

I can't say I have the willingness to argue, since I know in my heart that her words are sincere, and I want nothing more than to make love to my girl. Picking her up, I move to the bed and lay her in the center. I move alongside her and use my right hand to reach for the center of the red, lacy contraption she's wearing. I pull the silk bow and watch as the lace falls from her chest. I've seen her naked many times, but this time will forever be etched in my mind. As I scan down her body, her back arches off the bed when my eyes travel over her stomach, down to the small silk path of red left covering her. Her body is so reactive to me. It's as if my eyes are touching her skin. I know how to please her, and I know what she likes. I've brought her pleasure with my hands, my mouth, and even dry humping. I know that this will not be all wine and roses for my baby, and I know I will need to be very careful. I'm proud of her for talking to Carlisle, but not surprised. My baby is shy, but when she trusts someone, she'll talk to them about what's on her mind.

"Baby, I want this so much. I just... I'm afraid that I'll hurt you."

"I know it will hurt. Chas and I talked about it a lot. She also told me that she's only ever seen one other man look at a woman the way that you look at me, and that's how Peter looks at her. I trust you... make love to me, Edward. Please?"

Moving so I'm covering her body with mine, I kiss her deeply. Her hands move into my hair and she pulls me closer. With one leg wrapping itself around my hips, she arches into me again. I move my hands down her sides, resting her body back against the bed.

"Baby, let me make things good for you. I want you so much, but I have to get you ready for me. I love you, Baby. This is the best gift you could ever give me. I just want you to know that I'll wait for you forever... if you change your mind. I want to marry you, Isabella Marie Swan. I want to be with you forever. I love you so much," I say before moving my lips back to her neck.

"I want you now," she pants out.

"I want you forever," I pant in return.

Moving my way down her body, my fingers, hands, mouth, tongue, and teeth leave a trail of blazing fire across her skin. The sexy panties she wore are now halfway down her legs, and she is so wet for me. I can see the excitement glowing on her flesh, and just before my mouth centers in on her swollen clit, she begs me to taste her. As I lick, suck, and nibble at the engorged flesh, I slowly work one finger in and out of her tight opening. I can feel the fluttering pressure on my finger and her moans are becoming louder. When I can feel her body tremble with her climax, I switch to two fingers and push them in as she moans out my name. Continuing to lightly push in and out of her, I move my mouth to her hips and across her pelvic bone. I know her clit is really sensitive now, but she's still not ready for me. I continue my ministrations, and every once in a while I lick along her slit with the flat of my tongue. When I can tell she's enjoying having her clit touched again, I turn my attention back to it and start pushing her toward her second orgasm. Using my mouth on her most sensitive area as two of my fingers thrust into her center, her moans become louder. I reach up and stroke the soft flesh of her breasts as she comes closer again. As she falls over the edge for the second time, I push another finger into her tightness. I move my three fingers in and out of her heat as I kiss my way back up her body. Stopping at her breasts to pay attention to her tightly pebbled nipples, she moans out my name, thrusting her hips into my hand.

"God, Baby," I moan out in reply.

Her mouth meets mine as her legs wrap around my hips. She pulls me closer to her with her legs while her fingers pull at my hair. "Now... please," she moans into my mouth. Withdrawing my hand, I line the head of my cock up with her opening. I want to go slow, knowing that no matter what, it will hurt her. Her legs are pulling me closer as I slowly push in. The heat and the tightness are almost too much to take. I have never felt this much pleasure and emotion together before.

I stop moving as soon as I feel the barrier against the head of my engorged cock.

"Baby, I love you so much. You are my everything. I'm yours forever," I say before deeply kissing her and pushing through her barrier. Once fully seated, I still, even though my balls are aching for release. "Are you okay, my love?" I ask, stroking her cheek as I kiss away her tears. I never thought I would see tears fall from her eyes and it almost kills me.

She must be able to read my expression because she tightens her legs around me. "Not sad tears, my love," she says, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me. "I'm only happy knowing that you are mine as I am yours."

"Are you okay?" I ask, still worried that I have hurt her.

"It hurt really bad... like a hard pinch, but now it's just a dull ache. I want you to make love to me. I know it'll get better next time. I love you, Edward. Show me how much you love me."

"I do love you, Baby, so very much." I slowly pull out and watch her eyes as I push back in.

I can see nothing but her love for me. Knowing it's not good for her but that it's no longer harsh pain, I stroke in and out of her body slowly. The wet heat and tightness are engulfing me, and soon I'm right on the edge. I reach down and rub circles around her clit as I push into her over and over again. The room is so sultry, and all I can hear is our panting breaths. The heat and wetness of her vagina hugging my cock is electrifying. The intensity and excitement send me into passion overload, and I thrust in once more before releasing rivulets of my semen within her.

I'm holding most of my weight from her body, but her legs are still wrapped tightly around me. "Baby, let me move to your side. I promise I'm not leaving."

"Please... stay here for a few more minutes," she says. Looking down, I see that the same look of love she had for me before seems almost brighter now.

"Baby, I love you and I'm not going anywhere." We continue to kiss and lightly touch each other, and I move from within her before I can become hard again. I know that she wants to feel me, but she needs time to adjust to the trauma of her first time. I roll us over and continue to kiss her and touch her as she straddles me. "Baby, I want to make you feel good again. Can I touch you?" She moans out her agreement as her mouth latches onto my neck. Reaching between us, I start rubbing her bundle of nerves, and soon she is pushing her hips into my hand. I suck one nipple and then the other back and forth into my mouth as her hips gyrate her center against my hand. She screams out my name as her whole body shudders in release. As her climax recedes, we both murmur words of love to each other. Soon her body melds against mine as she drifts off to sleep.

**~HCV~**

Bella and I are at the courthouse and in with the judge now. Sue hasn't shown up, so we're waiting on the judge to reach a decision. Bella hasn't slept very well the past few days even though we've been pretty busy at night. I really love making love to Bella, and she seems to really enjoying this side of our relationship, too. However, right now she looks to be overly stressed. I watch as the judge sets down the last of his papers, and I hold Bella's hand tighter.

"I've reviewed all the information from Social Services, as well as the psychologist's reports. My first thought when I saw this case was that you, Miss Swan, are still very young. However, the more I read the reports and findings, the more I was surprised about your ability to take care of Seth and Leah Swan. I understand that, at this time, you are in a relationship with an older man, Mr. Masen. All the police checks have come back clear for both of you. I would like to say that you, Miss Swan, have done a wonderful job at raising Seth and Leah so far. I found them both to be smart, polite, kind, considerate, and well-adjusted children. I hereby grant you full custody of both children on a temporary basis. The Department of Children and Family Services will continue to keep an eye on things, and this case will be reviewed in six months' time. If things continue to go as they are now, then you will be granted permanent full custody, and the Court will declare Seth and Leah Swan abandoned by their birth mother, Sue Swan, and her parental rights will be terminated."

I feel myself smile as I look to Bella, who has gone into shock. "Baby, we got them. You've got them!"

Bella looks at me and her eyes go wide. "But we need to come back in six months?"

I hear Emmett chuckle. "Little Bit, believe me... what just happened was a great thing. As for the six months, the courts always do a short term action before any permanent action is taken. It's all good, I promise you. I've filed all the necessary paperwork, and have the ads ready to post with the next court date warning Sue Swan to step forward for the next hearing or have her rights terminated by the State of Washington."

Bella looks at me and hugs me tightly. "They're not taking them away from me... "

I chuckle a little as I rub her back. I could hear the fear in her voice, and I know that it's been eating away at her. "No, Baby, we got them. They aren't going anywhere now, except with us."

She kisses my neck and lets out a sigh. "Thank you so much."

I kiss her head and then pull her up with me to stand. "Come on, Baby, let's get out of here." I drive us home as Bella slowly comes out of her shock.

"What happened?" "How did it go?" We hear as soon as we walk through the door. Zafrina and Esme are standing in front of us.

"Well, Edna, Isabella, are you going to make us wait any longer? Tell us what happened!" Zafrina says, tapping her foot.

"Bella's been awarded full custody temporarily, and the judge will be reviewing the case in six months. Sue never showed up." I smile as Esme pulls Bella in for a hug.

"Oh, I knew everything would go well. I'm so glad it's over with for now. So, after one more court date, they'll be yours and that's it." Zafrina smiles, hugging Bella once Esme lets her go.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. Seth and Leah have been told a little of what has happened. They both seemed relieved when told that Bella was now there legal guardian. I know I'm extremely happy. The only thing making me sad this week is the fact that Bella and the twins are going home on Friday. Her apartment is finished and has been redecorated. I hate the fact she is going home; I wish I could ask her to just stay with me here. They've been living with me for two months now, but I don't want to push her too much. I have to remind myself every day that she's new at this and still only nineteen. It's so easy to forget her age because she acts and speaks as if she's the twenty-four year old we thought her to be at first.

Bella and I are watching a movie and the twins are tucked into bed. "Argh," Bella lets out a scream, hiding her face in my chest. I let out a chuckle, so she playfully smacks me on the arm. "Hey, don't laugh at me. I think you put on scary films with blood and guts so I will cuddle with you."

She looks at me smiling. "Oh, Baby, like I need a film to get you to cuddle up to me? Besides, I have other ways to get you close to me." I bend my head down, kissing her neck.

"Really? Like what?" She lets out a moan as I suck on her neck.

"Oh, there are a lot of... " I'm cut off by a knock on my door. I frown, wondering who could be knocking on the door this late at night. "I'll be right back to show you. Stay right here," I say, kissing her one last time before heading to the door. Just as I get close to the door, I hear another knock. "Alright! I'm coming," I say, opening the door. There stands Emmett, red-eyed and holding a crying Christopher along with some bags. "Emmett, what happened? Come in," I say, moving out of the way to let him in. I grab the handful of baby bags he has as he steps inside.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but can we stay here for a while? I know you have Bella and the twins here, but you... " As long as I've known Emmett, he has never sounded so heartbroken. I've never seen him rendered to the point of inability to finish a sentence.

"Emmett, what's going on?" Emmett looks to Bella, who's looking between us.

"Hey, Little Bit." Emmett stops as Christopher starts to cry again, and he tries to hush him.

"Emmett, why don't I take Christopher and get him ready for bed so you can talk to Edward?" Bella holds out her hands and Emmett nods his head.

"He needs a bot... bottle, and..."

Bella cuts him off as he begins to stutter. "I can handle it. Go on. Go with Edward."

I put my hand on Emmett's arm and lead him off to my office. I pour us each a drink, because he looks like he needs one, and I wait, giving him time to calm himself. "She's been seeing Royce King behind my back. She... she said they're not sleeping together, but have a strong connection that she's never had with me." I look at him as my stomach drops. I'm in complete disbelief. "She said that I needed to leave; she wants the house. I packed my bags and I was about to walk out the door when she called me back. At first I thought she was going to say something mean, you know?"

I nod my head at him. They've been together for seven years and Rose is always mean when she lashes out. "You know what she said?" Emmett looks at me, but I say nothing, knowing he is just venting. "She asked what the fuck I was doing leaving 'THAT' here. She said that I was to take 'IT' with me, and the whole time she was pointing to Christopher." Fucking heartless bitch! "She called our son, our innocent infant son, an 'IT' and 'THAT'. I had enough, and told her he was her son, too. She just looked at me and said that she wanted a girl. She never wanted a son. She wanted a perfect, pretty, beautiful daughter. She wanted someone to teach how to shop, and to dress up for beauty pageants. She didn't want a boy, and as far as she was concerned, he was just mine." Emmett breaks down, and I think this is the first time I've ever seen him this emotional.

"Fuck, Emmett! I am so fucking sorry."

He wipes his face, and takes a deep breath. "Alice is still on team Rose, so I didn't want to go to Jasper's. Since Carlisle and Esme are like her parents, I don't want them in the middle of this. I know that she's kind of like a..."

I hold my hand up, shaking my head. "No… okay, in a technical way, yes, she would be known as my sister, but you know she's never acted like one. But it can also be said that you're my brother in many ways, only you have acted like one. There's no love lost. You and Christopher are welcome here. No worries, no fret. You can stay here along as you need to."

Emmett stands and we hug. I can't say that it was a man hug, because it wasn't. I pull back, clearing my throat at the same time Emmett does. "I have a load of stuff in the car, along with a travel crib for Christopher to sleep in."

I nod my head and start for the door. "Come on. I'll help you get everything inside."

We head back through the house, and I stop to look at Bella, who's sitting with Christopher in her arms, feeding him his bottle. I watch her lips move as she speaks to him softly, and the whole time, she has a smile on her face. I feel myself smile, wishing that Bella and I had our own baby. I know she's a great mother. I try wiping the feelings off my face, though, so I can be here for Emmett.

"You better marry that girl, I swear to it. I love you, man, but that there is a mom. Rose never did that with him. Hell, she still hasn't even held him. When I look at Bella with Christopher, I know that's how Rose should've been. I really don't know what the fuck happened to her this past year." He stops and chuckles. "Really, it's been going on for the past four years. She's slowly turned into the high school girl I hated. I'm starting to think that this is the real Rose, and the woman I thought she was, is the fake one. For three years of marriage, she had me fooled, but now I see the real her and it's sickening. But, Bella... she is really fucking something. If you fuck up, you'll lose her for good, because I really don't think a girl like Bella will be alone for too long." He looks at me and grins, giving my shoulder a playful shove. "Hey, maybe you should fuck up. Then I can have her." The grin and twinkle in his eye tells me he's joking, but it's still a moot point. Bella will not be snapped up by someone else, because I refuse to fuck up or ever let her go.

"Good thing I'm not going to fuck up, then," I say, hitting his arm before I start walking again.

"Bella? Emmett's staying here with Christopher for a little while. I'm just helping him get their stuff in, okay?"

Bella looks between us and smiles. "Christopher and I are happy here. I put clean sheets on the bed in the guest room, and clean towels in the bathroom." She smiles and goes back to speaking to Christopher. It takes the better part of an hour before all of Emmett's bags are up in the room he'll be sleeping in. When we're done, we all head to bed and Bella pouts a little as Emmett takes Christopher back. Bella lets him know that she's here to help watch him anytime if Emmett wants.

**~HCV~**

It's Saturday today, and I'm at a paintball field with Emmett, Jasper, Peter, and Carlisle. We're about to go against five members of a football team. It was Bella's idea to have a guy weekend so we can all blow off some steam about the last few months. Bella and the twins moved back to the apartment last week, and right now, they're out with Zafrina, Chas, and Esme. They're going to spend the day walking around the Aquarium and Pier fifty-nine on the Sound. Tonight, Zafrina is looking after the twins while Esme and Chas take Bella for a girl's night out. Then tomorrow, Bella will be spending time with just Zafrina and the twins; something she hasn't done in a long time. Emmett's parents have taken Christopher for the weekend, and I dare say he needed the break. Emmett's an excellent father, but he's under an extraordinary amount of stress right now.

"Alright, people. In this battle we must keep our focus. Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times. We can't lose to a bunch of shoulder-pad wearing kids from college. Now listen carefully, and know what your duties are as we set off for battle. Here's the map," Jasper says as he unfolds the paper. I listen to him rattle on and on about sneak attacks during his battle preparation speech. I know he loves battles and anything about the history of wars, but this is paintball, and if he doesn't shut up soon, I'll shoot him myself.

We spend the next two hours running around a field. And, in the end, Jasper is the last man standing on our team. The other team still has two on their side. It gets a bit tricky, but Jasper manages to take both of them out. The rest of the day, Jasper is in full-on army mode and we drink ourselves silly. The good thing is that Emmett is starting to look a bit more relaxed now.

I send Bella a text so I can ask about her day. After exchanging a few messages, I tell her that I'll call her tomorrow, and we head for my cabin outside of Port Angeles where we're staying this weekend.

Emmett wakes up cheerfully for a guy that drank his weight in Scotch. "Guys, I just wanted to say thank you for this weekend. I know that you care for Rose, too, but thanks for taking time out of you own lives to do this. I've really had a blast this weekend. Just so you know, Kim called me earlier today. Rose messengered over and signed the divorce papers. Along with the divorce papers, there were also parental termination papers. Rose signed over her rights, and has stated that she wants nothing to do with Christopher. I've asked Kim to hold back on filing them, but because of time constraints, they'll need to be filed soon. I just don't really think she's thinking clearly right now. Anyway, Kim also said that Royce," Emmett spits out his name, "has moved into the house. I really don't think there's any way for me and Rose to get back together now. I hope that over the course of my divorce, I can keep you all as friends. I know that she's your sister, Jasper, and your niece, Carlisle, and I understand you need to be there for her. I just want you both to know that if at any point this gets to be too much, just tell me. I'll completely understand."

We all look at Emmett as Jasper clears his throat. "Emmett, she may be my sister, and I may love her, but I don't like her behavior, and I certainly don't approve of the way she's acting. You've been my friend for eleven years, and you'll continue to be my friend for even more to come. When you married my sister, that made you my brother, and you'll always be a part of my family. Divorcing Rose will not change that, and neither will anything she does or says. It takes two committed people working together to make a marriage work. It wasn't you who bailed. We have all watched you work at making your marriage a success. Don't worry.

In any case, Alice hasn't even spoken to Rose in over a week now. She sent her several messages, but Rose hasn't returned them. I really don't know what's going on in her head, but she's not using the brain we all know she has. Rose really needs to have a visit from the three ghosts. Maybe if she saw the past, present, and future, she might change." I chuckle at Jasper's Scrooge comparison, but understand what he means. We've checked out this Royce King character, and he is bad fucking news. One day Rose will see the other side of the coin. I just hope it's not after she's been flipped down some drain.

"Emmett, you're my family, and Esme feels the same way. Nothing that Rose does or says will ever change that. If she makes it an issue, she'll end up losing more than she already has. We would never turn our backs on you and our Bubby-Boy." We all chuckle at Carlisle, because he has been trying so hard to get us all to call Christopher, Bubby-Boy. Bella has taken to calling him Cam because of his initials, and even Seth, Leah, Jasper, Esme and I are doing it now, too.

After our conversation is over, we pack up the van we rented and head back to Seattle. We're heading straight to the Seattle Grill to have dinner before going to my house for a couple of drinks.

"Evening, all. What can I get for you guys tonight?" I look up, noticing a young girl has come to serve us. She pops her gum as she waits for us to order. She acts as if her job is boring and she has better things to do. In my opinion, if she hates her job so much, she shouldn't do it.

We each order our unhealthy, fat man meals, as Emmett calls them, and sit around talking. I notice Emmett's almost back to his usual self. It makes me happy to see Emmett smile again, because we all know how much this is hurting him. He's such a wonderful father to Cam, but it appears this weekend away has really helped him. I can also see that, like me, he's really missed being around Cam this week. I'm definitely missing Seth and Leah something fierce. I know Emmett's looking forward to picking Cam up from his parents' house tomorrow, and I'm excited because I have dinner plans and family game night with Bella and the twins.

Emmett's in the middle of a joke when my phone rings. I glance at it, and seeing that it's Bella, I smile as I pick up. "You are so whipped, man," Emmett says, making a whipping sound.

I shush him and speak into the phone. "Hello, Baby." I hear crying coming through the phone as well as people shouting in the back ground. "Bella, what's wrong? Can you hear me?" The others stop talking and look at me, hearing the panic in my voice.

"Ed... wa... rd!" It pains me when I hear Leah's crying voice on the other end.

"Leah, what's wrong, Princess?" I try to stop myself from panicking as I get up from my chair.

"Uncle Harry is here and... and he's really mad."

I look back into the faces of the others. "Harry is there, in the apartment?" I wasn't really asking her questions; more like telling the others what was going on while trying to keep myself calm enough to talk to her.

"Yeah, I'm in the..."

She stops talking as I get into the van. Covering the mouth piece, I shout, "WE NEED TO GET THERE NOW!" Uncovering the phone but not hearing the noise in the background, I try to get Leah's attention. "Princess, you have to talk to me." Emmett's on his phone with the police, letting them know what's going on.

"Edward, we're running to the park." I sigh in relief when I hear Leah's voice again.

I can hear her running with someone. "Who's with you?" I ask, pulling my hair.

"Seth. Bella told us to run to the park."

Shit! Shit! Shit! What the fuck do I do now? I can't have them go back. Do I go to them first or to Bella? I know she would want me to protect the kids first, and as much as it kills me, I know I need to go to them right now. Once again, I'm met with silence on the other end of the phone. "Princess, are you there? You need to keep talking to me. We'll be there really soon." There's still only silence on the other end, but I can just make out faint crying. "Princ..."

"Edward?" Bella's voice cuts me off.

"Baby, we're almost there. Where in the park are you?" I look around myself, knowing we've got another twenty minutes before we get there.

"We're near the wishing well by the fountain."

I try to think about what I can do to help her, and remembering the layout of the park. I know it's best for her to stay where she is. "Baby, I want you to listen to me carefully. Stay hidden between the well and the fountain. Emmett's talking to the police and telling them exactly where you are. You stay there until the police or I get there, okay?" I watch Emmett nod his head as he tells the police where to find her. I can still hear crying, and it's almost as if it's coming from two different people.

"Edward, I think... shit! I think he broke Seth's arm."

I see red as the anger rises inside me. I try calming myself so that I don't scare her more that she already is. "Baby, I'm going to put you on speakerphone so Carlisle can tell you how to help Seth with his arm."

I look to Carlisle as he nods his head in understanding. "Hey, Little One, I need you to sit in front of Seth and make sure you can see both his arms. What do Seth's arms look like?" It breaks my heart as the crying gets louder. I now know that it's Seth crying, and he sounds like he's in a lot of pain.

"The right one is really red, and is a lot bigger than his left." The anger in the car has increased along with the speed we're traveling.

"What part of his arm is swollen? And has the skin been broken?" I look at Carlisle, noticing that he is in full-on doctor mode now.

"It's the lower part of his arm, near his wrist. The skin's not open, and it isn't bleeding, but it's really red and he says it hurts really bad." We can her hushing and trying to give both Seth and Leah comforting words.

"Bella, how cold does the fountain water feel?" I look at Carlisle.

"It's really cold," she says after we hear her move around.

Carlisle lets out a sigh. "Bella, do you have anything you can wet down in the cold water and wrap around his arm?"

We hear rustling sounds. "Yes, I have something. How wet does it need to be?" I can hear Bella struggling to keep on top of things on her end.

"Get it soaking wet and ring it out, then wrap it lightly around the swollen part of his arm. You're doing so great, Bella. Help will be there soon." I hear Seth cry a little more, and Bella whispers an apology to him.

Emmett looks at me as we hear Bella's voice calming the twins. "The police just got to the park. They'll be with her in few minutes. I told them we should be right behind them."

I can't relax because they haven't gotten to her yet, and I'm not there either. "Did you hear that, Baby? The police are almost to you."

I hear her let out a sigh. "Edward, I see them. They're here." I think everyone lets out a sigh when we see the park ahead of us with three police cars there.

"Baby, I'm just getting to the park. I'll be with you soon." I hear a police officer talking to her and her phone disconnects.

I pull at my hair as Jasper stops the van. As soon as I can, I jump out and start running toward where I know they are. I see her sitting on the ground with Seth and Leah in her lap and what looks like a police jacket wrapped around her. "Sorry, Sir, you need to step back."

I look to the police officer. "That's my girlfriend. Our friend and attorney, Emmett, called this in. Please, I need to get to them." The police officer shakes his head and goes to repeat what he said, but he's cut off by the officer who's with Bella, telling him to let me through. I run up to them, seeing that Bella doesn't have a top on, and is sitting there in just her bra with the police jacket covering her. I frown as my mind starts going into overdrive.

"Edward," Bella says. I look at her and see her busted lip and swollen eye. "I'm okay, it's fine. I used my top for Seth's arm." I look at Seth, seeing her top wrapped lightly around his arm. I bend down, pulling all three into me. Bella moves her lips to my ear. "I'm starting to hate this park. I always seem to get hurt here, and you always seem to save me."

I kiss her neck as I hear Carlisle coming to look them over. As he does, I talk to the police officer. "Did you get him? Was he still at the apartment?"

He shakes his head. "Don't worry. He's at the top of the list, and we will find him. Not just for what happened to the little ones, but because he's a wanted man for a lot of reasons. I really shouldn't be telling you this, but Mr. Harry Clearwater has been wanted for eight years now. Washington is not the only state searching for him, either. He's wanted here for armed robbery and killing two police officers. We've sent his profile to every available officer in Washington State area. We're all looking for him. He won't be able to hide for long."

**~HCV~**

We've just gotten back from the hospital, and Emmett decides to head to his parents' house for the night. He wanted to give me some time to help settle Bella and the twins. Bella refused to let him go, and only did so when he promised to come back tomorrow with Christopher. I called Aro and let him know what happened. He's now on the lookout for Harry as well, and asked me to have Bella draw a picture of him if she was up to it. He says he'll also hire extra guards to stay outside of her apartment building, just in case he comes back. Seth has a broken arm, but Carlisle said that should heal in about six to eight weeks. We just got them to sleep, and everyone else left to head to their own homes. Bella and I are lying in bed, and I know we need to talk about everything.

"Baby, can you tell me what happened?"

She looks at me and I can see the sadness in her eyes. "Seth and Leah had just had their baths, and we were going to watch a movie. When we walked back into the living room, the light was off, which was strange because I know I left it on. When I switched it back on, Harry was just sitting there on the sofa. He asked who I was selling myself to. I told Seth and Leah to go to their room, and I took my cell out to call for help. He jumped up right next to me and hit me, pulling the cell out of my hand. Then he grabbed my hair and started shouting at me. He kept asking what I did with his stuff. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. He said that he had important papers here, and when he was here the last time, he couldn't find them. He said I wasn't there, so he took what belonged to him and then had fun smashing up our things." I feel Bella beginning to shake in my arms, and when I look at her, I realize that it was Harry who broke into her apartment the last time.

"He said that if he had known I had a sugar daddy to get me nice, new stuff, he would've done a better job at destroying everything. He asked what you got from me and how I let you..." She stops and closes her eyes for a few seconds. "I... um, he wanted to know how I let you fu... me. He screamed in my face and asked me if I liked it hard, and if... did I like it up my ass?" She looks down, so I tilt her head up and kiss her gently on her lips. Without saying anything, I know that I'm showing her these words can't hurt her. "He just kept screaming at me and banging my head against the wall. Seth came out of nowhere and started pulling him off of me, but Harry just laughed and twisted his arm until I heard it pop. I jumped on Harry's back to get him to stop hurting Seth, but he grabbed me and threw me off. That's when he hit me and I shouted for Seth and Leah to run to our favorite memory place. It's the park because you played ball with us there that first time." I kiss her head and smile at the memory of that day, too. "Anyway, he pulled my hair again and moved to hit me, but Jake bit him on the hand. He doesn't bite hard, but it startled Uncle Harry, and it was hard enough for him to let me go. I kicked him in his penis, and when he fell down, I ran to Seth and Leah." She looks at me, then gasps, frowning and looking extremely worried.

"What's wrong, Baby?"

"Jake... I forgot about Jake! Harry threw him off when Jake bit him. Oh, no! What if Jake's hurt?"

I pull her toward me and hug her close. "I'm sure he's fine. I'll call Felix right now, though. He's outside the building making sure that Harry doesn't come back. I'll have him go into the apartment and look for him." Bella nods her head at me and I grab my phone. I make the call, and Felix agrees to go check things out. Thankfully, it's only ten minutes later that he calls back. Felix says that he has Jake, and that he looks perfectly fine. He also tells me that he'll bring him to my house right now so he's safe and with us. It's only then that Bella will take the medication that Carlisle left for her so she could relax. As she slips off to sleep, I make her two promises. One... I will Kill Harry when I get hold of him, and two... she's not leaving here again. I don't care what I have to do, but Bella and the twins will be moving in with me permanently.

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><p><strong>AN: Well there you go that is Edward's POV of the first time. Want to read Bella's POV of the first time and learn a lot more about her life up to this chapter? Watch for a new story to post called 'Enduring His Cimmerian View' the BPOV chapter is with the BETA as soon as I get it back I will post it. A lot of things happened in this chapter and we are so excited to read your thoughts, so please share with us what you think. What do you think of Uncle Harry, and what do you think he was after? Kasi &(Nikky)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: As always all things Twilight related are sole propriety of Stephenie Meyer. The use of the characters she created in this story mean they are still her characters. The way that we have personalized them and changed them and molded them into our story however belongs to us along with this story line. No infringement intended. Huge outstanding wonderful thanks to all the wonderful ladies who bust behind to make us readable. Want to chat with us? Join us on Facebook at TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction group.**

**Just want to say that both Nikky and I have been excited about posting this chapter for weeks now, and we are super stoked to see what you think after you read it.**

***Special disclaimer... be careful reading this at work or in the library or someplace where you can't make noise and not have everyone come after you, because by far this chapter is one we expect to hear the most about... well til maybe the next chapter... LOL***

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 25: A Sketching Surprise**

Leah ends up in bed with us almost as soon as Bella and I go to bed. Seth comes in after a few hours have passed because he woke up with pain in his arm. I get him some medicine and he crawls up next to Bella. I lay there thinking for hours about how much I need to do everything in my power to protect them. The three people I'm watching over as they sleep are the three most important people in the world to me. As I slowly get my thoughts of last night clear, I realize I must've fallen asleep because I'm alone now and I hear crying.

Listening closer, I hear Leah sobbing. "Please, Bella, don't tell Edward!"

"Leah, he's not going to be mad at you. He'll understand that it was an accident. It will be alright, I promise." Bella's voice is light and strong, but I know her enough to hear the worry behind it.

"Yeah, Leah, it's alright. I used to do that all the time, remember?" Seth asks in an upbeat tone. I rub my face as I listen to the three of them talking. I roll over, and as I do, I feel a damp patch on my bed. I move away quickly, pull the covers back and I see a large wet spot on the bed. Now I know why my princess is upset; she wet the bed. I walk into the bathroom and see Leah getting dressed.

"Princess, are you alright?" I ask, bending down next to her and offering her my arms for a hug.

She looks at me and then to the floor and begins to cry again. "Edward, I'm really sorry... I... didn't mean... for it to... happen."

I pull her into my arms and hug her close as I rub her back. After her tears settle a little, I kiss the top of her head and step back slightly. "It's alright, Princess. These things happen. I know that you didn't mean to do it. That's why it's called an accident." Leah leaps back into my arms and hugs me tight. I look at Bella, who is helping Seth get washed up and giving him his medicine. "I have an idea," I say in a cheerful voice. "I think that today should be an official pajama day in our house. What do you three think?"

"What's a pajama day?" Leah sniffles in my ear. I let her go again, sitting her on the edge of the tub, and lean back so she can see my face as I answer her.

"Pajama day is when you stay in your pajamas all day and eat lots of bad stuff, watch movies, and play games all day long." Seth and Leah nod their heads at me and Bella gives me a small half nod with her smile. "Okay then, pajama day it is in our house. I just need to make a few phone calls. Why don't you all get your robes and slippers on, and I'll meet you for breakfast as soon as I am done." Seth and Leah hug me before walking out of the bathroom to get their slippers and robes.

After they leave the room, I look to see Bella biting her lip, and I know she's worrying about something. "I'm sorry that she wet the bed. She's never done that before."

I walk to Bella, wrapping my arms around her. "Baby, its okay. She's upset, and her body is reacting to that, so don't worry about it." I kiss her head and push her hair out of her face. I hiss as I see the large bruises that go all the way up one side of her face. "Baby, how are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

She shrugs her shoulders and tries to give me a smile. "I'm not sure. I..." She stops and rubs her head. "I feel like I failed them. He hurt Seth, and I should've been able to protect him better. I'm upset that it was Uncle Harry that broke into our apartment the other time. I don't understand why he did that, or what he was looking for. How could he do that to Seth and Leah? I mean, I know that he doesn't really like me much, but they're his sister's children. I thought he would love them." I hear her sob at the end, and see a few tears run down her face before she closes her eyes, taking deep breaths.

"Baby, you did everything you could've done to help them, and honestly, you did great. I'm here for you, and I promise I'm not going anywhere, but you're going to have to let this go. If you bottle it all up, it won't do you or the twins any good."

She nods her head and dries her eyes. "I can't talk about it right now. They need me, so I'd better get down there," she says. She stretches up on her tiptoes, kisses me on the cheek, and then walks out of the bathroom.

I get washed up and put on another set of pajamas. I notice that Bella has already taken all the bedding from my bed, so I walk downstairs and head into my office. I call all the people that I need to, and it takes the better part of an hour to get through to them all. When I'm finally finished, I head into the kitchen, seeing that they're just about to sit down for breakfast.

"I let everyone know that we would be here today. A Detective Hassan is going to come over to talk to everyone. Jasper and Peter are going to come over and sit with Seth and Leah as they are questioned." They all look at me and nod their heads in acknowledgment.

We spent much of the morning playing games, and I did my best to make sure everyone had fun. Right now, I believe that it's most important to make sure the kids know that it's okay to laugh and enjoy themselves. The sweetest sound to my ears was when all three of them were laughing and joking around.

The detectives arrived, and ask that they speak to just Bella and I today. The lead detective tells us that he will speak to Seth and Leah at school, and that Peter and Jasper have already spoken to him regarding their presence when the twins are interviewed. The detective also explains that he and his partner would like to go over our statements separately. One of them is going to be speaking with Bella in my office, while the other will be speaking with me in the kitchen. Esme arrived and is sitting with the twins in the living room, watching _The Smurfs_.

After an hour long session our statements have been taken, and we all stand in the foyer. Bella's beside me with her whole body leaning heavily into me.

"I think we've got just about everything we need. There's just one more thing. You see, Harry has always been good at covering his tracks. He's a master of disguises, and has the ability to change his look often, so we don't have a clear picture of what he looks like. How would you feel about sitting with a sketch artist so we can get a better idea of what he looks like now?" Matt – as he asked us earlier to call him - looks at Bella as he asks.

"Matt, Bella's a really great artist. She can draw a perfect portrait from memory. I'd think with her drawing skills, she could do one herself, and it would be much more accurate than having someone else try to do it from her memory. Is that something you think you can do, Baby?" I ask her as I look down to see her biting on her lip. I know she's nervous, but she's more worried about him hurting the kids than her. Her eyes finally meet mine, and she nods her head, letting me know she can do it. "She can do it. How about this: she'll sketch it out and drop it off later this week?"

Matt looks between Bella and me, and Bella bites her lip again. I reach up to release it from her teeth before it bleeds. "That would work. Thank you for your time. We'll be in touch." He shakes my hand and gives Bella a smile before he and his partner leave.

Bella lets out a breath and looks at me, clearly scared. "Do... um, do you think Uncle Harry will... will come here?"

I shake my head and pull her into my arms even more. "No, I don't think so, but I'll protect all three of you and show each of you how to use the alarm system. Also, for the time being, I think it'll be best for you to have someone with you at all times. Matt assured me that he is also going to have a patrol car drive by every half hour, so you and the twins are safe." She looks at me and nods her head, but I can still see the worry in her eyes. I know full well that until Harry Clearwater is caught, Bella will be in a constant state of anxiousness.

**~HCV~**

The next few days go by, and Bella cheers up when Emmett and Christopher return. You can see that she clearly missed the little guy. I wake up to find my bed empty, and I'm certain I only awoke because she wasn't beside me. I get up, looking in the twins rooms first, but she isn't there. I check downstairs, but she isn't in the kitchen or living room. I check my office next, since she has taken to curling up on my sofa and reading, but she isn't there, either. I feel a sense of panic rising, but I can see that the alarm is active and hasn't been reset or touched since I enabled it at a quarter to ten. I have looked pretty much everywhere for her, but still can't find her, so I head back up the steps and decide to look in her art room. As I open the door, I find her sitting in one of my shirts, painting. "Baby, is everything alright?"

She turns her head and looks at me. "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dream, so I thought this might help."

I walk over, sit behind her, and wrap my arms around her waist. "Why didn't you wake me up, my love?"

She turns her head and looks at me over her shoulder. "I know that you haven't been sleeping much, either. I thought you looked so peaceful, so I decided to let you be."

I kiss her neck and then look at the picture she's working on. She's painting baby Christopher cradled in a large set of hands, and in the background is a meadow. "Emmett is going to love this! Maybe we shouldn't show him just yet."

She smiles but doesn't look at me. "I finished the sketch for Matt and then this popped into my head."

I watch for a while longer as she paints more of the picture of Christopher. "Baby, we can drop your picture off tomorrow." I look over to where it's sitting, and try so hard not to run over there and look at it. I want to know what this fucker looks like. If he comes near this house, I will kill him for hurting my family. Not wanting to scare her, I decide to wait to see the sketch until we meet with Matt.

I turn back and watch her paint some more. I'm amazed at how good she is. I know that she's using images in her mind to make this, because at no point have we ever taken Christopher to a meadow. She is truly talented. "I really love to watch you paint pictures like this. You are so incredibly gifted, Baby. It must be amazing to be able to do something like this," I say, pointing to her lifelike painting.

She looks at me and has a twinkle in her eye as she jumps up and moves around. "Stay right here," she says. I watch as she puts her painting of Christopher aside to dry, and grabs another canvas, placing it in front of me. "When I start, I close my eyes and let myself relax." She looks at me and motions for me to move. "Stand up," she directs, and I do as she says.

"I'm going to teach you how to paint." I chuckle at her and can't help but think that this is going to be messy. "Edward, I need you to think about what you want to paint. Just think of one thing: a person or a place." I smile, thinking of her; she's the only thing on my mind right now. "Do you have something in mind?" she asks, and I nod my head. "Okay, you need to visualize what you want to paint in your head, and then slowly memorize it a little at a time. Pay attention to the details so that you know where every line and curve is. Pay attention to the colors, and let the lines speak to you. Let the colors mingle into the picture. Just continue to look at the picture; remember where you are and what is around you. Let your mind fill things in for you. Sometimes you see more with your eyes closed than you do with them wide open. If it doesn't look right in your mind, then change it."

I see Bella in our room, naked in bed with a sheet covering her most personal areas. Her eyes are open, and I see desire and love shining in them. Her hair is fanned out over the pillow beneath her head, and one arm is resting above her. Bella's quiet for a few minutes as I think about the image in my mind. "Now open your eyes, Edward, and see the picture on the canvas in front of you. Can you see it?"

"Yeah, I can," I say, letting out the breath I was holding because I could still see the image clearly.

"Now we get to do the fun part," she says, picking up a smaller paint brush. "Edward, you get to color in the drawing. What color do you want first?"

I look her in the eye and answer automatically. "Brown." She nods her head at me, getting a little of the brown on the brush, and then placing it in my left hand. I feel her hand over mine, and I step closer to her, wrapping my other arm around her waist.

"Where do we start?" Bella asks me, so I move the brush to where I see her hair in the picture. I touch the brush to the canvas, and stroke down the length of her hair. After several passes, I glance at Bella from the corner of my eye, and I can see that she realizes I am picturing her.

"Baby, can we work on this more some other time? I would much rather run my fingers through the real thing than paint it."

"Yes, Edward. I think I'd like that a lot."

I turn her to face me after setting the brush down. Pulling her close to me, I slip my finger into her hair behind her neck. Tilting her head slightly, I pull her mouth to mine. As soon as our lips touch, she's licking my bottom lip. I open my mouth to her and involuntarily moan out as our tongues touch. Letting her have hegemony over our actions is customary for me, because I don't want to impel her too far, too fast. Every time we're together intimately, her actions become more bold and confident.

"Edward, take me to our bed, please?"

"Anytime, my love, anytime," I say as I pick her up bridal style and carry her to our bed.

Placing her on the bed, I follow her onto the mattress while kissing her. Running my fingers across the soft skin of her neck, I deepen the kiss. This woman takes all I give and gives it back tenfold. As my fingers trail across her skin, she moans into my mouth. When I pull back to move my mouth down her neck, her ragged breaths are only interrupted by her moans. I unbutton my shirt that she's wearing as my mouth leaves a trail across her skin. Kissing down her flesh, I can smell her arousal as my lips graze over the skin just below her bellybutton. Dipping my tongue into her cute bellybutton, she moans out, and the sound encourages me on. I kiss to the side and lightly drag my teeth across her hipbone. Hooking my thumbs into the sides of her lacy panties, I pull them down her body. With my mouth wide open, I place it over her mound. As soon as my tongue glides through her slit, her back arches off the bed and her fingers thread into my hair, pulling my face tighter into her wet heat. Licking fast and sucking the little, fleshy nub into my mouth soon has her screaming out my name as her body quakes. Licking up the juices still coming from her tight, wet pussy, I restrain her hips as she rides out her high. Working my way back up her body, I lick and suck a trail up to her mouth. Getting to her face, she pulls me to her and sucks my tongue into her mouth. I can't help but moan out in pleasure, because the way she's sucking my tongue makes my cock throb. Hooking her leg, she pushes me to the right, and I let her roll us over. Her small hands makes quick work of my pajama pants, and soon they're on the floor by her discarded panties. She kisses my skin and lightly rubs her body and hands across my abdomen. Scratching and biting, she tastes every part of my torso.

"Edward, I want you to take me. Make me yours again and again," she pants into my ear. Biting my neck and sucking the flesh into her mouth, marking me, she drives me forward. I flip us back over, and my fingers make purchase inside her tight heat. As I plunge two fingers into her, I spend time licking and nipping her breasts. I can feel the walls of her pussy clenching firmly around my digits.

"You're mine, Baby, and no one will ever touch you this way. This hot, tight little pussy belongs to me. Tell me what you want, Baby. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Ed... ward... I... please... put your cock... in me... now!" she pants out.

"Oh, Baby, I'll give you my cock with pleasure. It belongs to you." I fist my throbbing cock and stroke it a few times. Nudging the tip between her silky smooth, wet lips, I bring it up and circle her bundle of nerves. I continue to circle as she mewls out my name. When I have her panting hard, I bring my cock down to her opening and slowly push the tip into her. As my thickness pushes into the sopping heat of her tight pussy, I pinch her clit until I'm fully seated inside her. With her clit still lightly pinched between my fingers, I rub them together and make her gasp out in ecstasy. Releasing my clamp on her bundle of nerves, I hook her left leg over my arm. I recoil and lunge back in, each movement causing her to moan, gasp, or whimper. Her fingers twist into my hair and she pulls my face to hers.

"Harder... it... it... feels so wonderful."

I push harder after hooking her right leg and lifting her bottom up to meet my thrusts. "Baby, you feel so good. I fucking love being inside you. I. Love. You. And. Want. Only. You," I say each word with a resounding slap of our skin as I move within her.

"I love you, I love you," we both chant together. The words come out in a cry of moans and climax-soaked mutterings from us both.

**~HCV~**

Emmett, Carlisle, Jasper, and I are all at the gym working out. Esme, Zafrina, and Chas are taking Bella to a spa for the afternoon. Seth and Leah are with Sally for a special Sunday School day camp. Both things were planned before the whole Harry thing came up. Bella said that she still wanted to go if they did, and Jasper thought it would help to keep her mind off things and the spa would help relax her. There is still a part of me that wants to stay right next to her, but when Aro said that he was having Felix trail the girls and Garrett watch the twins with Sally, I agreed to it.

"Edward. Son, can I have a quick word with you?" I look at Carlisle, who looks vexed, so I nod my head and follow him. "Edward, I can see that the physical side of yours and Bella's relationship is heating up, so I brought you some stuff; it's in my car."

I look at him, dumbfounded. What the hell is he talking about? "What?" I ask as he rolls his eyes at me.

"You know, to put on before..."

Fuck, he is talking about condoms. It really isn't a conversation I want to have at the gym. I mean, fuck! Scratch that. It's not a talk I want to have; period. "There's no need. We're both clean, so why would we need them?" I ask as I move to walk away, but he grabs my arm, looking at me as if I'm stupid.

"Oh, shit! You've already had sex with her, haven't you?"

I nod my head at his question, but am bothered by his asking. "I really don't get what's wrong, Carlisle..."

He holds up his hand, halting my words. "Edward, condoms are used to stop STDs and other things as well." He looks at me, but I still don't get what the hell his problem is. "Edward, for a smart guy, you're a bit slow. What else can happen with unsafe sex?" Pregnancies, shit! I look at him wide-eyed. "Ah, you finally get it, huh? Since I'm her doctor, I know she isn't on the pill right now. I was planning to ask you to bring her in so we could all talk through your options. I noticed things heating up, and I wanted to be proactive, so I got you condoms. I got enough to last you for a month, since the pill takes that long to kick in."

I rub my face and sigh. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Oh, fuck! What have I done? "We've done it a few times in the past couple of weeks already. Will she be alright? I mean..." I stop as I hear him chuckle.

"Edward, please don't tell me you think that she can't get pregnant so soon. I think she should be fine, but you need to bring her in for a checkup. When was the last time?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "Last night."

He nods his head. "Okay, bring her in next week, and use condoms until then. I'll give her a pregnancy test before we start her on some birth control." I rub my face in worry. What the fuck am I going to say to her?

**~HCV~**

It's Thursday, and Bella and I have just dropped the twins at school and are heading back to the house to finish up a few things before we head over to the police station to hand in the sketch of Harry that Bella made for Matt.

There's a knock at my door just as Bella and I are about to sit down on the sofa. I open the door to find the State Policemen who are handling the James Hunter case standing in front of me. "Hello, Mr. Masen. May we have a quick word?" I nod my head, allowing them to come in before showing them to the living room.

"Bella, this is Detective Spades and Detective Scully. They work for the State Police, and are investigating Bree's case. Gentlemen, this is my girlfriend, Bella."

They nod their heads in her direction. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss," Detective Scully says.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," says Detective Spades.

She smiles at them and nods in return. "Would either of you like a drink?" They nod their heads and I see their smiles get bigger.

"Coffee would be wonderful if you have it. We both take it black with one sugar, thank you."

"Do you want anything, Edward?" Bella asks before kissing my cheek. I shake my head and hold up the glass of juice I have in my hand. She smiles at me and heads off to the kitchen.

"Please take a seat, gentlemen. What can I help you with?"

They both sit down and Detective Spades looks at me. "Mr. Hunter has been spotted in Seattle near your restaurant. We were popping in to see if you've seen him or run into him?"

I shake my head. "If I did, you would've been the first to know."

They nod as Detective Scully writes down some information in his notebook. "Do you know why he would have gone to your restaurant?"

Again I shake my head. "I have no idea why he would be there. I haven't really been in much myself these past few months."

Just as I finish saying this, Bella walks in with the tray of coffee and a plate of muffins. Both of the detectives turn and smile at her. "Thank you, Bella," Detective Spades says.

She returns their smile and sits beside me. "Is everything okay?" I nod my head at her without speaking.

"We would like to ask your staff if they've seen him. We plan on going there next. We have the picture that was taken of him when he was questioned."

I nod my head at them, giving my permission to question my employees. "I'm sure that will be fine. I'll draw up a list of people that work there. I have something to do this afternoon, but I can join you there after I finish."

They both nod their heads, as Bella looks at me. "Will you need to speak with me?" Bella turns as she asks them while looking between us.

"Do you work at Midnight Sun, Bella?"

Bella nods her head in answer to the question. "Bella, James Hunter, Bree's teacher, has been seen near the restaurant. They just want to show you a picture and ask if you've seen him, okay?" Bella nods her head, so Detective Scully passes the photo to her. I watch as Bella's already pale faces gets even paler and she begins to shake. Both of the detectives look at each other and then to her as I jump up. "Bella, have you seen him?" She doesn't answer me, and begins muttering to herself and rubbing her head. "BELLA!" I take hold of her hand and clasp her face, making her look at me. "What's wrong?"

She looks at me with fear in her eyes. "I... I don't understand... I'm so confused."

I rub her cheeks with my thumbs. "What about, Baby? Tell me and I'll help you."

She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. "This..." She stops and turns the picture to me. "This can't be Mr. Hunter. I don't get why they're showing me this picture. I thought Matt said they didn't have one?"

I look at her in complete and total confusion. "Bella, Baby, this is James Hunter. This is the same man I ran into when I was in Forks."

Bella shakes her head adamantly. "No, its not! This..." she says, holding up the photo, "is Uncle Harry!" She moves away from me, getting her sketch. "Look... see? This is Uncle Harry, not Mr. Hunter." I look at her and then at the two detectives who look as confused as I am. I look at the sketch in my hand, seeing that I'm looking at James Hunter. Fucking son of a bitch! I saw him. He was right in front of me. Fuck, maybe that was why he gave me that fucking smirk when I saw him.

"Who is your Uncle Harry, and who is Matt?" I look back at Detective Scully.

"Harry Clearwater is Bella's step-uncle. He's a wanted man. He broke into Bella's apartment twice. Once he robbed her, and the second time he attacked her and her younger brother and sister. Matt is the Seattle Police Detective assigned to the case. His last name is Hassan. Matt is looking for Harry because he's also wanted for other crimes, including bank robbery and several homicides, two of which were police officers."

They both look at each other, and suddenly, Detective Scully jumps up to make a phone call. "We know who he is, Bella. Are you sure that it's the same person?" Bella, who is now close to tears, nods her head. "Looks like we'll need to stick around a little longer. I need to ask you a few more questions, if I may, Bella?" Detective Spades says, his tone speaking volumes and telling me he's not really asking.

Bella nods her head and looks at me, and I can see that she's terrified. "You're going to have to give us a few minutes. She is obviously in shock." He looks at me and I glare at him. "I wasn't asking. I'm taking her to my office. I'll bring her back in five minutes or so." I grab Bella's arm, pulling her with me. As I close my office door, Bella slowly falls apart.

"No, no, he couldn't have hurt Bree or those other girls; it can't be him. Please, tell me they made a mistake."

I pull her into my arms. "Hush, Bella. It's going to be okay. I'll make sure of that, alright?" I pull away from her enough so I can look in her eyes. "I need to call Matt and Emmett. I want you to stay right here with me." Bella looks at me and nods her head.

I stall Detectives Scully and Spades for half an hour, and both frown when Emmett walks in with Matt close behind. "I really don't think a lawyer is needed. We just want to ask her a few questions.

"Yes, you can ask her whatever you need to ask, but I will be present as you do so," Emmett says as he walks over to them.

"As will I," Matt says.

"Look, can we just do it here, please? I'm not sure if I can be of any help. I really don't know much." They go through a lot of questions, many about what her mother said and how often she saw Harry. Did she know he changed his name? Did she know any of the other names he used.

"Do you remember December of 2003?"

Bella freezes at this question, and I rub her arms and cuddle her closer to my chest. "Yes. That's when my dad died and Seth and Leah were born."

They look at her and nod. "What can you tell me about that day? Tell me everything you remember."

I sigh, knowing that this is going to be hard for my Baby to relive. "She had just turned eleven... God..."

My rant is cut off pretty much from the beginning by Bella placing her fingers on my lips. "I'll be okay, Edward," she says, turning back to the detectives surrounding the table. "Dad had his uniform on and he was smiling. Mom was really excited. She kept saying that this was it; this was their big chance. I remember Dad laughing, saying it was as long as Harry didn't fu..." she stops, looking at them, "it up!"

They both look at her strangely, and I feel the need to defend her. "Bella doesn't swear. She tends to leave out any swear words." They all snicker at her and Spades raises an eyebrow but holds back a disrespectful chuckle. I glare at him and let out a little growl.

"It was later that day, and Mom was getting worried because they weren't back. I hid because she was talking to herself, and she didn't like me to be in the same room as her. There was a knock at the door, and two men, that were dressed the same as Dad was when he left, were standing there." It sounded like her dad was dressed as a cop. "They came in and said that Dad was dead; that he got shot during a robbery. They also said that Uncle Harry was one of the robbers. They asked her about Uncle Harry, and if she knew what he was going to do or where he was going. She told them she didn't. "They kept asking questions, and Mom started shouting, and the next thing I knew, she was lying in a wet puddle on the floor screaming."

They nod their heads while Scully continues taking notes. "When did your Uncle Harry come back?"

"It was a few months after that, because Seth and Leah were both home, and they had to stay in hospital for a little while."

Again they nod their heads. "When was the last time you saw Uncle Harry?"

She looks at me, and I can see that she's scared again. "Sunday was the last time I saw him. He broke into the apartment we were staying in."

They look at her, and I swear Spades smirks. "Yes, we have those notes here, and before that?"

Bella looks down and I hear the sadness again. "We... I didn't see him, but our apartment was broken into in November. He... he said that he had done that, too. But the last time I saw him before that, was almost seven years ago. He came to the apartment for money, but my mom was gone." I see her shaking, knowing that was the time he beat her. I stop her and continue the story where she left off as Bella looks down at the floor. I'm surprised to see that not only does Matt look pissed about the story, but both of the other detectives do, too.

"When's the last time you saw your mom?" Bella rubs her head, and I know this is pushing her a lot.

"It will be six years on the tenth of April."

They look at each other and then to her. "Am I right in saying that your birthday is September the thirteenth of 1992?" Bella nods her head. "Your step-mom left you to care for your brother and sister at the age of thirteen and a half?" Again, Bella nods her head at them and they sigh.

"Okay. I think we have enough for now. We'll be in touch." They look at Matt, who also nods.

After I walk them out, I head back to Bella, who is curled up on the sofa. "Baby, you did so well."

She looks at me, shaking her head. "I should've told someone. If I had, then he wouldn't have hurt all those other girls and people." I pull her into my arms as Emmett walks away, giving us time alone.

"No, Baby. You didn't know. It's not your fault, and no one will blame you."

She gives me a disbelieving look. "Will you call Bree and her parents to let them know? I want it to come from us. Please?"

I give her a nod. "Yeah, I can do that. But first I want to ask you something... about your dad." Bella looks at me, nodding her head, so I continue. "Is the reason you don't like banks because your dad died in one?"

Bella bites her lip and nods her head. "Yeah, I saw it on the news a few days later. The people who were there looked so scared. It happened a lot. I mean, I think Harry has done it before. I remember him saying it should go as smoothly as the rest." I rub her arm, knowing this is something that needs to be passed on to the detectives.

"What about your dad? I mean, him being a police officer?"

Bella gives me a strange look. "What?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think he was a police officer; he had a lot of different uniforms. I remember seeing some of them. Like an ambulance worker and a fireman. He even had those pizza delivery driver ones. Sometimes he even dressed in a suit that had a collar like the pastor at our church has, and he carried a bible around with him when he was dressed like that. It seemed as if he was always dressing in a different uniform each time we moved."

I look at her, unsure of what to say, and notice how tired and upset she looks. "Bella, it's just about half past one. Why don't you take a nap and I'll call Liam and let him know. I'll come up after that and rest with you, but you go ahead and lie down now." She nods her head and quickly kisses my lips before running up the stairs. I rub my face, letting out a heavy sigh.

"This is fucked up." I look up, seeing Emmett standing there, and nod my head at him.

"Tell me about it. I can't believe Harry and James are the same person. Emmett, I've seen him. Fuck! He has a similar build as me, and he is as creepy as fuck. I so wanted to hit him, but I didn't. I got a bad vibe from him, but I let it go, and in turn, he hurt Bree, Seth, Leah, Bella, and countless others. I should have stuck to my guns and hit the fucker."

Emmett shakes his head at me. "You had a gut feeling, Ed. There isn't much you could've really done to change the way he is. It just pisses me off that Bella and the kids were around a fucker like that. And there's another part of me that's glad he did what he did to those other girls and not to her."

I let out a sigh while nodding my head. "I better make that phone call and head up to Bella."

Emmett nods his head in agreement before speaking. "I better get back to work. I'll see you later this evening."

**~HCV~**

I head into my office to call Liam.

"Hey, Edward..."

I take a deep breath. "Hey, Liam... there's something I need to tell you, and it's not going to be easy, but please just listen."

I take a few more seconds, waiting for Liam to reply. "Sure, Edward," he says.

I close my eyes and take him though what Harry has done to Bella these past few months. I make it clear that Harry is not a nice guy and Bella fears him.

"Shit, Edward. That sounds fucked up! I'm glad that she and the kids are alright."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Anyway, the State Police and the Seattle Police were here today, and they said that James was seen near my restaurant." Liam lets out a growl when I say James' name. "They showed Bella a picture of him, and things kind of went south fast from there. It turns out that Harry and James are, in fact, the same person." The other end goes deadly quiet, so I clear my throat and finish. "Bella asked me to let you know. She wanted it to come from us and not the detectives. She really didn't have any idea when we were talking about James that he was her uncle."

I hear deep breathing on the other end. "Are you sure? I mean, it doesn't sound like this Harry could've been a teacher. How could he fool the Board of Education like he did? Shit, Edward. I need to go and think about this. My heart tells me Bella would never allow someone to get hurt, but my head is pissed that he hurt her, and if she had just told on him when he hurt her, then my girl would still be alright. I can't help but think he wouldn't have had the chance to hurt her."

I close my eyes again. "Liam, I understand."

I hear a loud bang from the other side of the line. "I don't think you do. He made her touch him, Edward. Tell Bella not to call here until you hear from me. I need some time."

Without another word, the phone is cut off. I open my eyes to see Bella standing at the door crying. I look at her in shock, as this is the first time I have ever seen her really full-out crying. I jump up and run to her, pulling her into my arms; holding her close to me.

"He's right. It's all... my fault. I should have told someone. I shouldn't have been so stupid." I feel her legs give out, and I scoop her up before she hits the ground. I rock her back and forth as she continues crying against my chest.

It took an hour for Bella to calm down, and in the end I called Esme and Carlisle to help. When they got here, Esme went to collect the twins from school, and Carlisle went to speak with Bella.

"She's alright. I gave her something to help calm her, but I think it would be a good idea to have Jasper talk with her." I nod my head at him, thinking about him having to medicate her to calm her down. "Edward, I want you to know the meds I gave her will be alright for her if she is... you know."

I place my hand on his arm and shake my head. "She's not."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. She started her period today." We both let out a sigh of relief. A baby would not be a good idea right now, but there's a part of me that's sad. I would love to have a baby with Bella, but I know that we will need to wait.

"Edward, it's not the right time, and medically speaking, I don't think her body could handle it right now. She's doing much better physically, but with everything going on, her stress level wouldn't be conducive to a healthy pregnancy."

I know that he's right, so I nod my head at him.

**~HCV~**

It's been a week since we found out that Harry and James are one and the same. It turns out he's a wanted con-artist in nearly every state. Liam called last night and apologized for his reaction. After talking it out with Sienna and Bree, he realized he had overreacted. Bree told him of Bella's age, informing him of how young she really was. When he called, I told him a little of Bella's past with her approval. I told him why Bella didn't call the police after Harry hurt her. Once he was told about Bella's past, he understood why she didn't call the police. Bree was very angry at her dad and told him so.

Detectives Scully and Spades have returned to my house, and I have just let them in. "Good evening, Mr. Masen." I look at them, rubbing my face. "Is there a place where we can speak privately?"

"We can talk in my office," I offer, and they both follow me after I close the door.

"Mr. Masen, we're here to speak to Miss Swan. Could you get her for us, please?"

I raise an eyebrow at them and cross my arms over my chest. "No, I can't. She was upset after you left the last time. She's still fucking upset, and I will not have you coming here, making her feel like all this is her fault in any way, shape, or form."

They both look at me, and I notice Spades does so with a smirk. "Are you sure she's as good and squeaky clean as she makes herself out to be?"

I growl at them, but Spades just looks at me, clearly amused.

"Do you know this person?" he hands me a photo, and I look at it before shaking my head at him. "That's James Hunter." I look to the picture he handed me again and then back to him. "It took a little while, but we found a picture of him from when he graduated from college. From the information we've been able to obtain, Harry Clearwater, Charlie Swan, and Sue Clearwater Swan were all con-artists and took on many different aliases. Some people whose names they used were more unlucky than others. Case in point, this man," he points to the photo I'm still holding, "James Hunter. It appears that they killed him just after the bank robbery. We're pretty sure that Harry killed him to take over his life and new job." I look at them, and I'm sure the shock I'm feeling is clearly evident on my face. "We found a storage unit. It was in Sequim under your name."

I shake my head at them. "I don't have a storage unit in Sequim. Hell, for that matter, I don't have a storage unit anywhere."

"That's what we thought, and when Harry was seen at the Sequim facility, it pretty much confirmed that you didn't know. We believe that he's used your name a few times for housing and storage. The first time we found records of anything strange in your name was around nine years ago."

I rub my face and pull my hair as I think. "But I never met him before that day in Forks. What the hell has he been using my name for?" I feel the anger build up inside of me.

"From what we can gather, he used it mainly for rental places like we said before. However, we did find that he used it a few times to pick up girls, as well. We also found a few accounts in your name that are questionable, and we know that he used your name in Vegas to get married. There's also a report there where the victim gave your name, but the description she gave of the perp didn't match our records. That's why no one has ever contacted you about this."

I stand up and start to pace. "What the fuck was the charge?" I asked, not meaning to shout so loud.

"He beat and raped a young woman when she refused him."

I sigh and start to pace the floor. "I didn't do that."

They both nod their heads at me. "We already checked it out, and you were at the college giving a presentation on that day three years ago."

I pull at my hair again as my office door opens. "Edward, is everything okay? What's going on?"

I open my eyes to look at Bella, and notice that she still looks so fucking messed up. "Everything's fine, Miss Swan. We're just having a quick chat with Mr. Masen, and then we would like to speak with you."

I walk over to Bella and hug her into my side. "I told you that you can't. She's not part of this. She can't tell you shit!"

Bella places her hand on my face, trying to calm me. "Sure, Detectives. What can I help you with?"

They both smile at her. I sigh and bite the edge of my fist as they start asking her question after question. Zafrina came over during the questioning to sit with the twins. I'd sent her a text, not wanting them to be alone in the house or hear any of this garbage. I'm glad she came over, because the questioning has taken over two hours so far.

"Miss Swan, we saw the picture you did for Matt, and we were wondering if you could draw one of your mom and dad for us? We're in need of one so we have a clear picture as to what they looked like."

Bella nods her head. "I have a lot already. They're at the apartment in a sketch book. There's one with both of them when they used to dress up. You could use that, but only if you promise to give it back so Seth and Leah can have it. I drew it for them so they always have a picture of their parents."

They both nod their heads at her, agreeing to return the original once they had a copy. "Of course, thank you. When can we come collect it? Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, could we please get into your mother's room to have a look around? That may give us some insight on how to find Harry and Sue."

Bella looks at me, almost pleading with me to help her, and I know it's because she's worried about people entering that bitch's room. "She can't hurt you, Baby. I won't allow her to. They need to get in there because it sounds like she's in a lot of trouble."

Bella nods her head at me and then turns back to the detectives. "You can. However, I'd like Edward to get everything for you. I mean, if you just want the paperwork, then can't he get it and take it to you? If you still need to get into the room after that, I'll let you in."

They both nod again, and I think Spades is shocked that she's so willing to help. "That sounds fair," Scully responds.

When we're done, I walk them to the door. "I'll come by later this week, but you're going to have wait. I won't leave her while she is upset."

They nod their heads in understanding. "Don't worry so much. We're trying to make sure she's in the clear on this. That's why we're going over everything right now. I really wouldn't put it past Harry or Sue to try and drag her down with them." I nod my head in agreement, and then close the door after they leave.

"Baby, I'm going to go down to the gym for a bit."

She looks at me and nods. "I love you," I say, kissing her head before running down to the gym. I haven't used my home gym in a few weeks, but I know that I need to right now. I have to work out as much of this anger and stress as I can. I get changed into some gym shorts and cross trainers, but leave my shirt off. I grab my boxing gloves, make my way over to the punching bag, and start pounding the piss out of it.

I don't know how long I've been down here, but I suddenly feel as if Bella is here with me. I can always tell when she's close; it's like a sixth sense. I keep my focus on the bag but quickly glance at the mirror behind it. I see Bella sitting on the bench in her tank top and boy shorts and I smirk as I watch her in the mirror. She's staring at my chest, and then suddenly her eyes meet mine in the mirror. I love the blush that rises, and she bites her bottom lip but still gives me a small smile. She mouths 'I love you' to me, so I nod my head and give her a wink while never ceasing my attack on the bag.

As I hit for God only knows how much longer, I sense her watching me. I slow down a bit, and feel my shoulder tense up from exertion. As I watch Bella stand up and start to make her way over to me, I hit the bag one last time. Once she reaches me, she wraps her small hands around my shoulders, stands on her tiptoes, and places a soft kiss against my skin. She begins to rub my shoulders, but stops and lets out a small chuckle. "You're too tall. Come and sit down, and I'll give you a shoulder and back massage."

I look at her, shaking my head. "Baby, I'm all sweaty. You really don't want to touch me like this."

She looks at me and quirks one of her eyebrows. "I like you all sweaty, but you do have a point. Why don't I help you shower? Better yet, how about I wash you in the tub and then put you in bed before I give you a massage? That way you'll be relaxed and clean and all ready for bed, and then you can let the relaxation put you to sleep instead of going to shower after I get done with you. Now, let's go get you all nice and clean." She grabs my hand, pulling me along, and I let out another chuckle.

"You can wash me in the shower, Baby. I don't want to get in the tub tonight."

"Okay. I like being in the shower with you, too," she says with a smile.

We take a shower together, and true to her word, Bella washes my entire body. I look at her as we head into the bedroom; we are both only wearing the warmed towels she wrapped around us. "I'm really sorry for leaving you tonight. I just... fuck, Baby. I just feel so angry."

Bella shakes her head. "No, you were okay. Everything was fine. You just needed a time out. I understand the need to be alone with your thoughts. It's okay, really. Esme and Carlisle came and took Seth and Leah for the night, and Emmett took Christopher to his parent's house."

She pushes me onto the bed, and I chuckle, looking at her as she bites her lip and spins her finger, signaling for me to turn around. I pout but lie on my stomach. When I feel Bella straddle me, I look over my shoulder and watch her pour some oil onto her small hands, rub them together, and then places them on my back. She presses her weight down into her hands as she runs them down my spine. I moan out, and I'm not sure if it's from pleasure or pain. I'm tight and sore, but her fingers leave a trail of electrical current across my skin.

"Baby, that feels amazing," I moan out as her hands glide back up to my shoulders. She kneads the muscles across my upper back, paying special attention to the knotted muscles. The more she rubs my skin, the more turned on I get. "Love, you're making it quite hard for me not to just flip you over and start rubbing against you," I growl out as her hands stroke down so low that they're on my hips now.

"Maybe that's what I want," she says in a shy voice.

Reaching behind me, I tug her to my right side as I turn over and pull her face to mine. The moaning sound filling the room is a combination of us both as our lips devour each other. Before I know it, her sleek, lean body is straddling me again, but this time I am lying on my back. As she grinds her silky, robe-covered body against mine, I grab for a condom. I watch as she pulls the tie on her robe and it falls open. She's completely bare beneath the silk. The towel that was covering my torso has vanished, and I sheath my cock in the latex.

"I want you, Baby, and I want you to control this," I tell her as I stroke her drenched heat.

She bites her lip seductively as she gives me a slight nod. I know she's nervous, so I help guide her into position. Holding my cock in place, she slowly lowers her tautness to surround me as we become one. With every movement, we seem to meld together. It's amazing to me, because it's as if my body anticipates every move she makes. She moves, I move. It's like we're two magnets attracting each other, and the feeling is so incredibly intense.

Before long, we're both panting hard, and I move my thumb to circle her clit.

"Baby, you feel so good riding my cock. Oh, God, Baby, you're going to make me bust my nut. Fuck Baby... oh, God..." I moan out as I shoot my load into the tip of the condom.

Suddenly her body quakes and the only sound I hear is her saying my name over and over again. When her orgasm subsides, we lie on the bed, still connected for several minutes. Once our breathing returns to normal, I reach between us and hold the base of the condom as I pull us apart.

"God, I hate these things. They always feel so squishy," I say as I peel off the used rubber.

"Carlisle said we have to use them until the pills he gave me start to work so we don't have any 'oops' babies," she says, repeating Carlisle's words to her.

"No baby we make together can ever be considered an 'oops', my love. But before we go making any babies, I want you to be my wife first," I whisper into her ear and then kiss her cheek.

I look at her closely, deciding that we need to talk about our living arrangements. "Baby, I want to ask you about something important. I've been meaning to talk to you about this for ages now. I understand that you may need time to think it over, and of course talk to Seth and Leah, but I want you to know this is what I want. Baby, I really want for you, Seth, and Leah to move in here with me permanently. I didn't want you to leave in January, and now that you're back here and have been for quite a while, I'm not ready to give you up again. Please, Baby... please. Promise me that you'll at least think about it?"

Bella looks at me, biting her lip. "I really would like that. I feel at home here, and I've never felt like that before, but I'll only move in if Seth and Leah agree to it. Also, there are a few things that you and I need to discuss if we do move in here with you."

I look at her, smiling because I know if it were her choice alone, her automatic answer would be yes. "Like what, Baby?"

She moves a little closer and rests her chin on my chest, looking up into my eyes. "Like us both putting money in for all of the bills. I'll only live here if I'm able to contribute to the household. I want to pay my fair share of the gas, electric, water, garbage, cable, internet, insurance, house payment, and, of course, groceries." I shake my head at her but she covers my mouth before I can say anything at all. "Edward, I know this is your house, but if we move in here, I want us to be responsible. I know you don't need my help, but I'd like to do our share."

I kiss her fingers that are covering my mouth and then move them away. "Bella, I earn more than you, and really, even with the three of you here, there hasn't been that much of a difference in what I usually have to pay. I also eat out all the time when you aren't here, so honestly, I would be saving money buying groceries instead of paying for food in a restaurant every day of the week. I love you, Baby. You're my other half, so it just doesn't feel right taking money from you."

Bella nods her head at me, and I smile, knowing that I have won. "I completely agree. That's why you no longer need to pay me for working at Midnight Sun. Since you're my other half, I wouldn't feel right taking money from you to work there. And because I love working there so much, I'll just work there for free from now on. Goodnight, Edward. I love you." She kisses my lips and then turns around to snuggle her bare back into my side for the night.

"Wait... what just happened, Bella?" I hear her let out a soft breath, but she doesn't answer me. "Bella, I know you're not asleep yet, and I need to pay you for working for me..." I wait, but again she says nothing. Argh. Shit, she really outsmarted me there. Fuck! "Bella, talk to me about this. I mean let's meet halfway, at least, please?"

She turns back and looks at me. "Edward, I wouldn't be paying rent anymore. You are paying me $450 a week, and I get $200 in tips on top of that. That's $650 every week. I can easily give you $400 a week and still be left with $250. Half of that can be put away for savings, and I'll still have $115 left each week after giving Seth and Leah their allowance. I can use that to buy clothes and do fun things, so it's more than a fair amount. I mean... this is what being a couple is about, isn't it?"

I sigh and nod my head. "Okay, how about this? We both put $500 into a joint account every week. That will cover all of our bills, and also include our savings and Leah and Seth's money. The other $150 is yours, Bella, to spend on yourself."

She looks at me, giving me a big smile as she nods her head. "Deal."

**~HCV~**

It's Saturday afternoon, and Bella's with Esme, the twins, and Christopher at the mall. Both Seth and Leah agreed to move in with me, but I was pretty positive they wanted to anyway. I'm at Bella's apartment right now, getting it all packed up for her. Most of the stuff she didn't need has been donated to her church. Emmett took the TV, the new sofa, and a lot of her kitchen stuff for when he's able to move into his new condo. Everything Emmett is keeping has been put into Esme and Carlisle's pool house for the time being.

I have most of the stuff done, and the apartment is just about bare. The bitch's room took the longest to sort through. There was a shit ton of documents in the filing cabinet that was in her closet. I didn't have time to read them all right away, so I stuffed them all into a box to go though later. Boxes... it's ironic that I think about a box as I enter into the one that Bella claimed as her bedroom. I pack up the rest of her stuff, and finally get to her large stack of sketchbooks. There sure is a lot of shit here. Emmett and Jasper have just taken the last box of toys down to my car. Carlisle's talking with Zafrina and Aro, who both seem happy that Bella, Seth, and Leah are moving in with me. I was pretty much told that they'll still be keeping an eye on me, though.

I pick up one of the sketchbooks and begin rifling through it. I smile as I look though the ones with Seth and Leah. I see the date printed on the first page, and realize that it's from back when they were between the ages of three and five. I move on to the next book, and see it's from ages five to seven. I chuckle, picking up the next book, and turning to the first page, I check for the dates.

_2001-2003_

I take a deep breath before turning the page, unsure if I really want to see these people or not. There's a part of me that doesn't want to see what they look like, but another part wants to see if they look like the monsters they truly are. The first few are pictures of different parts of them, but so far, none have their faces in them.

I sigh as I turn the next page, and there they are. As I look at the picture, I feel nothing but anger. I flip to the next page, only to see the same people looking back at me. Each time I turn the page, I feel even angrier. The anger is building so fast and furious, that it's rising up inside of me, bringing with it a familiar pain that tears at my chest. I gasp as I see one where Sue is pregnant, but I keep looking through the sketchbook. I'm so into it that I don't hear anyone come in. As I turn the last page, I feel a hand on my shoulder but I knock it off. All I see is red, and I can't focus on anything or anyone. Someone – anyone – please tell me how the fuck I'm supposed to tell Bella, Seth, and Leah?

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><p><strong>AN: Well I am sure that there were a few shockers in this chapter for you. Only about 3 or 4 of you suspected that Harry may be using another alias. It amazes me the following this story is getting and we both want to say THANK YOU, because it is you the reader and reviewer who are making this story so popular. Thanks for the Rec's and for the wonderful pimping being done on several sites and Facebook pages. Oh I can't wait for the questions, so bring them on. ~Kasi (&Nikky) **


	26. Chapter 26

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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**TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction**

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 26: A Shocking Situation**

What the hell am I going to do? I mean... how can this even be possible? This whole thing is so fucked up! I can't believe that outlandish, fucking bitch. She fucking left them on their own! Did she leave...? I mean, she had to have left... it just kills me, thinking of him on his own so young. He would have had to have been less than a year old. Fucking shit! My chest – it feels so fucking tight. Argh... this is just too much! If she wasn't already dead, I'd kill her myself.

I know Bella loved her stepmom regardless of how the fucking bitch treated her, but this... this is going to kill Bella! I know that she had no part in all this shit, but I don't get why she didn't know about Edward. As for Seth and Leah, I'm pretty sure they would be upset, but not as upset as Bella because they don't really remember her. I still don't know what the fuck I'm going to do. How do I tell her that her mom is dead? And how the hell am I supposed to explain how I know that for certain? This is... and then I will have to tell them how I know... this is a whole new fucking ballpark of messed up.

My fucking chest hurts so fucking much right now. Everything is falling apart, and there's not a fucking thing I can do to stop it. Why did I have to look at those books? As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. In this case, I think it applies.

There is a part of me that wants to go to her grave and dig the bitch up. I mean, how could she have done all of this? And how did I not see it before? Fuck! Why was little Edward not with Bella and the twins? Bella must have been ten when I dated Tanya, or Sue, or whatever her real fucking name was. Why had I never seen Bella? I was at Tanya's house a few times; she must've been there.

Thank fuck the pain in my chest is easing up. As for Eleazar, or Charlie or whatever his name really is... was... whatever – either way he was a fucking prick ass smug bastard… It's no wonder he didn't want Tanya – or whoever she really was – spending the night with me. I mean… what the fuck? Your husband pretends to be you father? It's just so sick and wrong... Jasper would have a field day with that one. I just can't get my fucking head wrapped around any of this. How the FUCK can Tanya be Sue fucking Swan? I fucking need help with this. Where the fuck is Jasper when I need the fucker?

"Edward, can you hear me?" I open my eyes, not realizing I had closed them. I see Carlisle kneeling on the floor in front of me while Jasper, Emmett, Aro, and Zafrina are all behind him looking at me worriedly.

"What is with everyone?" They look to each other and then to me.

"Edward, you had a panic attack – a really bad one; you wouldn't respond to anyone or anything. I gave you a shot about ten minutes ago to help you calm down enough to breathe normally."

I look at him, starting to understand that I must have collapsed. "How long was I unconscious?"

Carlisle places his hand around my wrist, taking my pulse. "Half an hour," he answers. My hand goes up to my hair and I start pulling at it.

"It didn't feel that long. Fuck! What the fuck am I going to tell her? This whole situation is completely fucked up..."

Carlisle clears his throat to get my attention. "We understand that," he says, waving his hand around to include everyone in the room. "That's the one thing you kept repeating while you were out. Edward, we will all help you if you would just enlighten us on what happened?"

I take a much needed deep breath, and then look for that fucking book. Upon seeing it, I push it over to Carlisle and I watch as he picks it up. "That is what's wrong," I say, knowing that out of all of us, he will understand right away. I look to the floor, close my eyes, and take deep breaths, knowing that I need to pull myself together to get through this. I need to be there for Bella; she is going to need me more now than ever before.

"What the fuck? This... that... it's fucking impossible – impractical... it's... it's unimaginable. I open my eyes, seeing that Carlisle is mad and the others are all clearly confused.

"What's going on? Is someone going to fill us in?" Zafrina just about shouts, and as Carlisle looks at me, I nod my head, silently giving him permission to tell them. Because... well fuck, I'm going need all the fucking help I can get.

"Bella drew a picture of her stepmother and father. Here it is." Carlisle stops, takes a deep breath, and then holds out the sketch pad.

"Fuck, yeah! Now we know what the bitch looks like. I can't wait to meet her," Emmett says in a somewhat enthusiastic, yet snide voice.

"We've already met her," Carlisle answers, and as he stands there's a chorus of 'huhs?' coming from the others. "It looks like Bella's stepmother, Sue, is none other than Edward's ex, Tanya."

Everything goes deadly quiet. I jump up because I've had enough of this. "How do I tell Bella and the twins that their mom is dead? I mean, most people would be applauding her demise, but this is Bella we are talking about! This information is going to really fucking hurt her." I start pacing the floor while tugging relentlessly on my hair.

"What do you mean she's dead? When? And who the fuck is Tanya? Are you sure it's the same person?" I look at Zafrina and nod my head.

"Short story... I met her when I stared college at UW. We dated and started having sex. She said she was pregnant, and claimed that she wanted an abortion. Her father, Eleazar – who we now know is really Charlie – was extremely possessive, and was pissed at her for dating me. Anyway, it turned out that she wasn't pregnant, and was just trying to get my bank account information. She had been scamming me the entire time, but the night before everything came out, we had unprotected sex. Of course, by someone's cruel idea of humor, she ended up getting pregnant for real. About two years later, she came back with a baby boy, saying that he was my child. Esme made her take the child to have a paternity test, and it turned out he was, in fact, my child. Tanya tried to sell him to me, but Esme stopped her, afraid that once she had the money, she would disappear with my son, never to be seen again. My son, Edward, was born in February 2004. On March 10th, 2006, both Tanya and Edward, Jr. died in a house fire." By the time I'm done telling them all of this information, I have a few tears running down my face.

Zafrina looks at me and then to the picture that's sitting on the counter of the four of us that was taken at church on Christmas. She frowns, shaking her head. "Edward," she says loudly. I stop pacing and look at her again; she never calls me Edward unless it's important. "I'm not saying you got it wrong about Tanya and Sue being the same person, but... she isn't dead. She can't be." I look at her and struggle for breath as she holds her hand up to me. "I saw Sue or Tanya; whoever she is. I'll just call her Bella's mom... no, I don't like that. God, we need a name to call her... oh, I know! We can call her Sybil – after that multiple personality woman from the 1950's. Regardless of what we call her, she couldn't have died in March, because I saw her a month after that. The last time I saw Sybil was the 10th of April, 2006. I'm sure if you ask Bella, she will confirm this. That was the day that Sybil left." I pull my hair, remembering that Bella has already said that to Jasper, so I know it is true. "But that isn't the only thing that worries me." I look at Zafrina as she passes the picture she was holding to Carlisle and whispers something in his ear. I watch as his eyes get wide and almost look like they're about to pop out of their sockets.

"What? Someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on now?" I shout out, and Zafrina clears her throat.

"Edward, Seth was born on the 31st of December in 2003, and Leah the next day. Tanya, Sue, Sybil or whatever you wanna call her... the fucking witch could not have given birth six weeks later to little Edward. I'm not a doctor, but I don't think they would have left a third child inside of her for that long." I look at Carlisle, who confirms Zafrina's comments with a simple nod of his head. "Plus, I really don't get how I missed this, but Seth is your double here," she says, pointing at the picture in Carlisle's hands. "Seth really looks just like you in this picture."

Carlisle rubs his face and takes a deep breath. "So does Leah, son."

I snatch the picture from them, looking at it as if my eyes are seeing them for the first time. Fuck... No, this can't be real... Can it? I move quickly over to the other sketch pads, knowing there are several more sketches of them as babies. I start flipping through the sketches while blocking out the others chatter. I stop dead in my tracks as I see a picture of a hand holding out a muffin to a small girl. The girl has her dark hair cloaking her face while she sits with her back against a tree. Her knees are tucked up underneath her curtain of long hair. I rub the page, and, looking at it, I'm not sure why, but something about this is so familiar to me. I study the picture more, and notice the arm and hand holding the muffin out to the girl. There is something so recognizable, and then I notice the watch on the wrist. I know this watch well, because it's mine; the same one Bella found in Gina's office. This is me handing the girl a muffin. Oh my God... this is me! I close my eyes, trying to bring back the memory of this. Fuck! I saw her. I fucking gave her a muffin.

It was a cold day, and I was early to pick Tanya up, knowing that she hates when I'm early. I went to the nearby playground to waste some time. As I look around, I see a small girl trip and fall. She picks herself up and carries on without so much as a tear. For some reason, I keep watching her; she is extremely small, and looks so lost. I hear laughter, and as I look away from her, I see older, bigger boys, riding bikes right toward her. I watch in horror as they crash into her and knock her back down. One of the boys falls, too, but he jumps right back up, shouting at her to watch where she's going before riding off. The girl just lays there for a few minutes, and I move over to her to make sure she's all right. When I get to her, I bend down, but she crawls quickly away from me and leans against the tree, almost wrapping up within herself.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. Are you okay? You took a nasty fall." I wait for her to talk but she doesn't. "Do you want me to walk you home?" The girl's only response is to shake her head. "You're not much of a talker, are you? Okay then, it looks like I'll need to do the talking for the both of us." I chuckle a little at the end, hoping to get her to talk back to me, but she doesn't even lift her head. I sigh and rub my face, and as I do, I hear her stomach grumble loudly. "You sound hungry. I have some of the most amazing muffins. My adopted mom made them, and they're really yummy because she's a really great cook." I take one out and hold it out to her. "It's okay, I promise. They're really, really good, and you'll love it. Please take it." Slowly, her hand comes out and she takes the muffin, and when she does, our eyes meet. She looks at me, and when I look into her eyes, I see a shit-load of loss and hurt in them. "So how about you tell me your name?" She looks away from my face and over my shoulder, looking scared all of a sudden. I turn to see who she's looking at, and as I do, I see Tanya walking over to me.

"Hey, Sweetie. Sorry keep you waiting," she says and I smile at her.

"It's fine. I made a new friend," I say, turning to look back at the girl, but notice that she's gone. I look around, but I can't see her anywhere.

"Who's your new friend?" Tanya asks as she crosses her arms.

"It was a little girl. Some boy knocked her down, but she's gone now."

Tanya grabs my arm, pulling me away. "Oh, I'm sure she's just fine."

I shake my head at the memory, trying to hold myself together. I turn a few more pages, and as I look at the last page, I break down. Right in front of me is a nearly exact replica of the only picture I have of Edward with Tanya. This confirms what Zafrina said in my mind. Seth is my son – Edward. What does that mean for Leah? Is she my child, too? Fuck, this is going to destroy Bella. I wanted to give her the world, not take her world away from her.

"Edward, you need to calm down." I look at Carlisle, who is now standing in front of me.

"Do you think Seth is my son? Do you think Edward was really Seth? What about Leah, and why didn't she say she had twins? I've got so many fucking questions, and the only fucking person that has the answers, is who – the – fuck – knows where. A part of me wants her here to answer the questions I have, but the other part just wants to fucking kill her on the spot. The sad thing, though, is that there is a bigger part of me that wishes I never learned any of this, because I'm afraid this will break the only girl who has truly loved me more than life itself." I sigh and rub my face. "I mean, how did she fake her death? How the hell did she do that?" I hear the anger in my voice.

Aro places a hand on my shoulder. "I'm just guessing here, but if James Hunter was a real person, then I think Tanya Denali was more than likely a real person, too. My best guess is that she must have had a son, and it's the two of them who are dead." I look at him; feeling like my head is going to explode. This is really too much information to take in at one time. "I think we should do a DNA test on Seth and Leah, and have it confirmed before telling anyone else."

I let out a growl and shake my head. "We cannot tell Bella about this. It will completely destroy her. Those kids are her world. Please, you can't tell her about this," I beg them all. Argh... fuck, I need to know if they're my kids or not. If they are, I doubt that I would treat them any differently than I do now. But if I knew, Bella would pick up on it right away. I mean, I already love them unconditionally, but I can feel my heart expanding at the mere idea that they may, in fact, be my children. I have to know the truth or it will drive me up the proverbial wall. What the fuck am I going to do? "Okay. Do the DNA test, but even if it confirms that I am their father, I don't think we should tell Bella." I slide down the wall, exhausted from all the pacing I've done.

"Edward, I don't think keeping this from Bella is a good idea. Things like this tend to have a way of coming out. I think we should, however, wait until we have all the information in hand before we do or say anything. The DNA testing will take four days from the date the samples are taken." I look up at Jasper, shaking my head.

"No. If they're mine, it's going to hurt her so much... too much." I grip my hair and start to pull. This is so fucked up! I feel like I'm in a horrible soap opera, or in the twilight zone, or some kind of alternate universe from of hell.

I hear someone clear their throat, so I look up. "I'm going to get as much information as I can, so I'll need a photocopy of everything from Sue's room to give to Jenks. I will more than likely get information before the cops do. They're really fucking slow, and sometimes doing things illegally gets you the information faster." I nod my head at Aro in agreement. "As for telling Bella, I think we should." I growl at him, but he holds his hand up to stop me and make me listen to him. "I know that this will hurt her, but from what we already know about Sue and Harry, they are evil, and a part of Bella knows this. We know Harry has been around, and if he sees you with the twins or with Bella, he'll tell her everything, and not in a nice way. As for Sue, I think once she knows Bella is coming into money, she'll haul her ass back to try to swindle it from Bella. I think she would do anything, including using the paternity of those children, to hurt her. So, we need to take that ammunition away from her as soon as we can. If the news comes from you, then you'll have a lot more control over how Bella will take it. If she learns about it from someone else – whose goal is to hurt her – that means she'll learn the information without you there to console and love her. "

I shake my head while pulling on my hair. "I don't want her hurt, but I don't want to lose her, either." I sniffle as the tears run freely down my cheeks.

"How about this: Carlisle does the DNA test, Aro gets the information from Jenks, and we wait for the results. You can hand the evidence in to the police, and once we have everything in front of us, we can talk about telling Bella then?" Everyone turns to Zafrina and nods.

"That sounds like the best plan at the moment," Carlisle says.

After calming down, I want to go home, knowing Bella, Seth, and Leah are already there. I stop by the police precinct and hand the information into Scully. I told him what we found out, and I also made it clear that at this point, Bella was not to know. I think I scared the fucker a little, because he went white as I leaned over him when I pointed out that Bella was not to know until we had results. Emmett pulls me away as Scully whispers that they would allow me to tell her, and would never consider leaking that information to her or anyone else.

I have finally made it home, and as I pull up outside of my house, a part of me wants to run in and hold Bella in my arms. The other part is scared that I will push her away, over-thinking all of this fucking guilt that is consuming me.

Then there is Seth and Leah to think about. I know in my heart that they are both mine. The more I look at the photos and sketches, the more I see what I couldn't before. Seth is so much like me when I was his age, it's fucking scary. Leah looks a lot more like Tanya – the Tanya I knew, but she also looks a lot like my mother. I don't understand why the fuck I didn't see this before. How the hell did we all miss it? I mean, they look nothing like Bella. Bella is pale and has a heart-shaped face. She has dark brown, beautifully soulful eyes and dark brown mahogany hair. She is really petite and tiny, and the twins are almost her height already. Both are agile and well balanced, Bella is also extremely uncoordinated; she could trip over air. Both are tall for their age, and both of them have more of an oval shape to their faces. Seth and Leah are both pale, but have more coloring than Bella. Seth's eye and hair color are the same as mine, and Leah has Tanya's blue eyes and blond hair.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I look up at my front door and see Bella walking over to my car. I open my door, jump out, and pull her into my arms.

"Edward, is everything alright? You've been sitting out here for ten minutes." She pulls herself out of my embrace, looking right in my eyes as she rubs my arms, waiting for me to answer her.

I look down at her, and all I can see is the love this girl – my girl – has for me and everyone around her. I try to smile at her, but I know it comes off wrong as she frowns at me. "Please tell me what's wrong. Has something happened? Is everyone okay?"

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and pull her to my chest again. "Baby, everyone is fine. It's just been a long day and I've missed you so very much."

Pulling back a little, she gives me a big smile. "I missed you, too. Seth, Leah, and I made your favorite dinner as a thank you for dealing with the apartment."

She kisses my cheek and I pull her into me again. "I love you, Baby. Please don't ever forget that. Don't ever leave me, please. I love you." While still hugging her, I clasp my hand over my face, trying to stop my word vomit.

"Edward, I know something happened. Please talk to me or go see Peter. I love you with everything that I am. I promise you that I will never leave you. Whatever is wrong, I will stand by you. We will make it through this together." I pull her up, kissing her hard. I push my hand into her hair, praying that she's right; that this will not destroy her or us.

After a few more heated kisses, I let her go, taking her hand as we walk into the house. I hear Seth and Leah talking, so I head in to say hello to them. I stop and watch them play their game for a minute. As I look at them again, I feel the love that I've always felt. The love I've always had for them is exactly like a father's love should be. I know that when we get the results, I'll need to tell Bella, but it's going to kill me.

"Edward, welcome home! Are you coming to play this game with us?" I look at Seth and nod my head. "Sure, I'll play until dinner's ready." I sit in between them, trying hard to keep my emotions under control.

**~HCV~**

I'm in Carlisle office to get the DNA test done. Seth and Leah have just had their cheek swabs done, too. Thankful, they didn't question it and neither did Bella. When they were done, she took them to the cafeteria to get them each a slice of pie and a glass of milk so Carlisle could 'talk' to me privately for a minute. I fucking hated not telling her the whole truth; it was so fucking hard.

After swabbing my mouth with the sterile swab, Carlisle places them into the plastic cylinders to avoid contamination, which could affect the results. "I've spoken to the lab and asked that they rush the results. We'll know in less than seventy-two hours."

I nod my head at Carlisle. "Did you tell Esme?"

He shakes his head. "No. I didn't think it was right to tell her if Bella doesn't know."

I rub my face, feeling horrible. I know that, like me, Carlisle doesn't like keeping things from Esme. "I'm sorry for all of this..."

He stops me with a pat on my arm. "This is not your fault, Edward. This whole thing is Tan... Su... That bitch is to blame. I understand you want to protect Bella, so we'll work through this together as a family, okay?" Carlisle lets out a sigh. "There is a part of me that's hoping this is all wrong – that we are wrong – so Bella won't be hurt. But there's another part of me that is extremely happy that you may have your son back, and may have a daughter now, too. I feel so torn inside. I can't even imagine how you must be feeling."

I give him a quick nod. "I better get to the cafeteria and have that slice of banana cream pie they were getting for me, and then get them home."

**~HCV~**

It has been three days since the visit to Carlisle's office, and I'm with Aro at his downtown office. We've been waiting for Carlisle to arrive for the past twenty minutes. Just as I'm about to call him, he walks in, takes a seat, and rubs his face. "I have the results. They are both your children, Edward. The test was pretty conclusive at 99.9875%." I nod my head at him, not really surprised. I already knew what the results were going to be.

Aro lets out a sigh. "Okay, this is what I've been able to find out about Tanya Denali." He hands me a photo of a young girl, who is pale and has long blond hair. Her eyes are a clear blue, almost like she has no pigment, they're so clear. "Tanya was a straight A student. She was a reader, and was described as being extremely quiet. She didn't have many friends and was bullied a lot. She lived with her father, Eleazar, who was a preacher.

"He was well liked in their community, but he became a recluse after Carmen, Tanya's mother, was raped and killed. Tanya was only twelve when this happened, and Eleazar became an overly protective father. Tanya wasn't allowed to go anywhere without a chaperone, and this made her lose the few friends she had. When Tanya was fifteen, she and her father disappeared without a trace.

"There was a police report filed by the two of them about Tanya being stalked and receiving several gifts and letters from an anonymous sender. When Eleazar stopped calling the police to follow up, the officer in charge closed the case. Tanya was last seen three years later at a dentist's office. The people in the office filed a report with the police, believing that Tanya may have been in an abusive relationship. This is where the police got her dental records to identify her remains."

I sigh, rubbing my head as I look back at the girl in the photo, wondering what happened to her. Aro again clears his throat to garner my full attention. "From the information that I could gather, I believe that the male she was with was none other than Harry Clearwater."

I let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Now there is a fucking surprise. Speaking of that bastard... any word on his whereabouts?"

Aro shakes his head. "No, but I have several people looking for him. I've also been in contact with a Billy Black. He was friends with Charlie, and is from La Push. Felix went to pick him up. He should be here in the next half hour." I nod my head at him.

I walk over to the window, looking out to see the others all talking. Emmett is getting as much information as he can to use in court. The other dilemma I have is this: do I fight for the rights to my children? I know they're safe with Bella and that she'll never hurt them or keep them away from me. But in order for her to get them fully and legally, I would have to give up my rights to them. I don't know that I can do that. I don't want them to feel abandoned by me when they learn the truth. If I do claim my rights to them, I will be taking her world from her, and that's something I never want to do. I am so lost in my own thoughts that I don't hear Felix coming in.

"Son?" I look at Carlisle and frown. "Mr. Black is here." I look over to the table to see a man sitting there in a wheelchair. I watch his eyes fall upon me, and he gives me a tight smile and a slight nod.

"Mr. Black, I'm so glad that you could join us." Mr. Black's eyes move to Aro.

"There wasn't much of a choice, so please, let's get to the point. Why am I here?"

Aro chuckles at the no-nonsense way Mr. Black addresses him. "Well, we think you could help us track down a few people. We're looking for Sue Swan and Harry Clearwater."

I watch as Black's face pales and a look of disgust washes over his features. "Why would I know where they are?"

Aro sits down across from him and smiles. "Well, we know that you are a friend of theirs."

Black shakes his head. "That's where you're really wrong. They are no friends of mine."

Aro stands up, walking over to Black. He is just about to speak when there is a tapping on the door. Aro frowns and looks at Felix, who opens the doors.

"Hello, Felix. Is Edward here?" I look right at Aro when we hear Bella's Voice. I then look at Black, who is looking at the door. "Sorry, Isabella. Can you give me a moment?" Felix shifts a little, so Black moves his chair to look out the door and gasps.

"Billy!" I hear Bella call out as she pushes past Felix and hugs Mr. Black. "Billy," she says again as she sits on the floor at Black's feet. "I've missed you, and so have Seth and Leah. I've been taking great care of Jake; he is so big now. How have you been? How is Jackie? Why are you here?" Bella busts out all her questions at once, and I watch Black as he chuckles a little.

"Sorry, Pumpkin. I've missed all of you, too, but your mom fell out of touch with me and didn't give me your new address. If I had known where you young'uns were, I would have come to you."

I clear my throat as I step forward, and Bella looks at me and smiles. She jumps up and comes over to me, hugging me tightly. "I love you," she whispers to me. I kiss her head, giving her a genuine smile. When we separate, she takes my hand and walks back over to Black.

"Edward, this is Billy. He's really nice. Billy, this is my Edward. Seth, Leah, Jake, and I live with him."

Black's eyes go to mine and he looks pissed. "Why aren't you staying with your mom?"

Bella bites her lip immediately, looking down, and I tighten my grip on her. "She left a few months after we last saw you." Billy's face pales, and he almost looks sick to his stomach. "She hasn't been back since, but it's okay because Edward helps us out, and he loves me like I love him. And Aro," Bella points to Aro, "got me some jobs. They all thought that I was older, but they know the truth now, and understand why I lied. This is Emmett." Bella smiles when she says his name and points to him. "He's helping me get guardianship of Leah and Seth. That way Mom or Harry can't hurt them if they come back."

Billy Black nods his head at her. "Pumpkin, I didn't know she left you. If I did, I would've come and gotten you."

Bella shrugs her shoulders and waves her hand. "It's okay because we have Edward now, and I'm happy. So why are you here?"

Black puts on a smile. "I've been looking for you, and this man said he could help me, but wanted to know a few things first about things I know. I'll help them with the information they need, and then, if it isn't too late and it's okay with Edward here, I could have dinner with you and we can catch up."

Bella smiles, looking at me with hope, so I nod my head at her. "Okay, that'll be great! I'll go home and see what we have to cook. Maybe Esme will help me make a big pan of lasagna."

Bella quickly moves to the door. "Baby?" I say questioningly, causing her to turn and look at me. "When you came here, you were looking for me?"

She closes her eyes and slaps her forehead with a smile. "I'm sorry. Detective Scully needs to see you. He wants to go over the information you gave him." I nod my head in acknowledgement, and she gives us all a smile and waves as she goes out the door.

"You know she's only nineteen and virtually only a child, right?" Black shouts at me after she was gone.

I glare at him and nod my head. "I know exactly how old she is and I love her." I chuckle sarcastically as I cross my arms over my chest. "Since you are the one to start the inculpatory questions, did you know what they did to her? Did you know how they fucking hurt her on a daily basis?"

He looks back at me and frowns. "I tried everything I could to get her away from them, especially after Charlie was killed. I tried so hard to get Bella away from Sue. Charlie was not the man that she made him into. Sue and that fucking brother of hers changed him. He used to be a good man, but they infected him with their evil."

I step towards him again, menacingly. "They fucking abused her – even your so – called good – guy friend Charlie. You're just as guilty as they are because you did nothing to stop it."

Black looks up at me and growls. "I asked them time and time again to let me take her. They moved around so much it was near impossible to keep track of them. When Charlie told me of his plan to sell her to the highest bidder when she was eighteen, I was pissed. That was around the same time he was planning the bank robbery with Harry. I'd had enough. I went to the police with the information about the robbery, but it changed nothing. I thought he and Harry would get arrested, and that Isabella would be safe, but Harry escaped and Charlie was killed."

I look at him as if he's mentally deficient. "Why didn't you tell the police or social workers? They were abusing her. You could have saved her! Did you know that Harry beat her with a belt so badly that she has scars? Did you know they never took care of her, or even fed her?"

Black sighs and rubs his brow. "Yeah, I knew all that, and I tried. Harry's not a stable person; he's a very dangerous man. He's worse than you will ever know. He raped and beat girls from the age of twelve on. He killed his and Sue's own parents. Sue's not stable either." He lets out another sigh and I sit down, knowing from the look on his face I probably need to.

"I need to take you back to the beginning. Charlie and I were friends from diapers. I was there when his mom left, and he was there when my mom passed away. After my mom died, I went down a dark road, and of course Charlie came, too. I was fifteen when I began drinking and doing drugs. My father was at a loss as to what to do with me. I was arrested twice in a three week period. When we were nineteen, I entered into a few street races. I really loved driving fast. Charlie was my right-hand man, and that's how we met Sue and Harry. They both seemed alright at first, and Charlie fell hard for Sue. It was like love at first sight, and it was like magic seeing them together."

Billy shakes his head and takes a drink from the bottle of water that Felix placed on the table in front of him earlier. "It was a few months later that Harry started showing strange behaviors. Sue kept saying it was because of all the shit that happened to them both growing up. We all started doing stuff together, like car races for money, and even participated in running drugs for some heavy hitters. Then Sue told us about this family that was loaded, and how she had come up with this idea to get money from them. I was against it at first, but then I ran into their son, who just happened to be the biggest racist that ever lived. We were all in then, just to bring that bigot down. We made sixty G's for one week of work. It was great, you know, having all that money. I bought more booze and drugs, and that's how it all began."

"You do realize that the man you took those sixty thousand dollars from had a target out on your heads, don't you?" Aro asks. I look at Aro, wondering if it was him they stole from, but his next statement answered my unspoken question. "You all were lucky it wasn't me. If it were, I'd have caught you before now. You're safe from him, though. He's doing time in Oregon, and will be until the day he dies."

Billy nods his head. "After that, I meet a girl and got her pregnant. It made me wise up and straighten up my act. I went into rehab with some of the money we made. This, of course, made Charlie and Sue start spending even more time together. When I came out of rehab, she was pregnant, but she lost the baby soon after. Then Renée came into the picture. Charlie was trying to con money from her, and they slept together. Sue was so pissed, because it wasn't part of the plan for him to be with Renée sexually. When it all fell through, Charlie was back with Sue again. Sue got pregnant a second time, and again she lost the baby. Sue was evil, but when she found out that Renée had a baby and it was Charlie's, she went off the deep end. They kept up the con, and when Renée passed, Charlie was going to give up his rights to Isabella at first, but then they saw how much money they would get if he agreed to take her in. She was a beautiful girl, but Sue couldn't cope with the fact she lost three babies and Charlie's bastard child survived. Charlie loved Sue more than anything, so he blamed Isabella for Sue being sad, and he rejected Bella, too."

"So Charlie and Sue were given a bunch of money to take Bella in?" I shout out.

Billy nods his head, as does Aro confirming that he had already found this out.

"I was happy with my wife and daughter, Jackie. Since I saw how miserable Sue was, and how they treated little Bella, I asked Charlie for custody of her. He always said no. I even told him they could keep all the money, and begged him to just let her live with us, but he never agreed. I would sneak her chocolate and give her toys when I could. Then they moved to Alaska for a few months, and my wife died during the childbirth of our second baby. It almost killed me, and I went back to drinking and doing drugs. I even gave my baby girl up to my dad; I wasn't fit to look after her. Charlie called me and asked me to come to Alaska for a little bit, and I thought it would do me some good, so I went."

"I bet that was a mistake," I say cynically, and he nods at me as he takes a drink.

"Charlie and I had a boy's night out, but we got a phone call in the middle of the night. It was Sue, and she was very upset, so Charlie and I ran to where she was. Harry had become obsessed with a girl named Tanya. He would follow her, and watch her sleep. He even sent her underwear and shit like that. She was only sixteen at the time. When we got to her house, we found out that Harry had killed Tanya's dad, Eleazar, and had locked her up. He wouldn't listen to reason.

"God, I tried... we all did, but he was losing it. Sue refused to turn her brother in, and Charlie said he would help them get rid of the body. I was roped in, too, since I was there. Sue had watched Fried Green Tomatoes the night before, and decided to cook him. It was so sick, and the three of them got stoned and ate parts of his body. It was then that Sue told us about Harry killing their parents. The really sick part is that Sue even told us how great their parents were. How they were loving and good to them. Harry killed them because he wanted their money and didn't want to wait for it, and Sue agreed with him."

"So far you're telling me that Harry is guilty of at least three murders, is that correct?" I ask and Black nods his head.

"Harry kept Tanya locked up all the time, and none of us were allowed to see her. He would rape and beat her daily, trying to make her love him, he said. I couldn't take it anymore, and I wanted to go to the police, but Harry found out and stopped me by beating me. He is the reason I ended up in this chair. After nearly killing me – only stopping because of Charlie – he threatened me that if I ever told, he would do the same thing to my daughter that he was doing to Tanya. Jackie was only seven years old at the time, so I keep my mouth shut. Charlie and Sue brought me to a doctor and told them I fell down a mine shaft. I got fixed up a bit, but I'll never walk again."

"Have you seen any doctors here?" Carlisle asks, always being the caring doctor that he is. Black nods his head, and I could see there was no hope from the look on his face.

"We moved back to Washington and I got clean again. I tried everything to get Tanya and Isabella away from them, but couldn't do it alone in my condition. Sue was on to the next big thing. She conned some guy and took on Tanya's name when she did. She never got what she wanted from him, but she found out a few months later that she was pregnant. She swore it was Charlie's baby, and she hoped that everything would be alright this time."

"Yeah, well... it wasn't Charlie's baby; they were my babies. I'm the guy Sue... or Tanya what – the – fuck – ever, was trying to con."

"You're Edward Masen?"

"Yep," I say, popping the 'p' and the room fell silent for a bit. "Can you just finish your story?"

Black nods at me and starts in again. "When she kept this pregnancy going, I knew it was to my advantage. I knew she would no longer want Isabella around, so I worked on getting them to give me Bella. When I heard about the bank robbery plans, I went to the police. I knew if Harry and Charlie were locked up, she would hand Isabella over to me, but it all went wrong. Charlie died, and when Sue gave birth, she was pissed that the boy turned out to be the son of the college guy, so she rejected him right away. The girl, Leah, looked like her, so she hoped she was Charlie's. She kept Bella to look after Seth until she could find someone to buy him. Then she found out that Leah was not Charlie's either. Her blood type made it impossible to be Charlie's child. Sue sank into a deep depression, but Harry made her keep them. I was so fucking close to walking away with all three of them, but he stopped that and moved them.

"Two years later, she called me up, scared out of her mind. Harry had lost it again and killed Tanya and her baby boy. She needed me to take him away for a few weeks so that she could burn down the house. When I saw her the next week, she asked me to keep some papers and give them to Harry. That was the last time I saw her; it was the beginning of April 2006. I asked her where Bella and the twins were, and she said they were fine. She had them taken care of, and to drop it if I knew what was good for me. She reminded me that Charlie was no longer around to protect me. She looked so evil."

I just stare at him. This is so fucked up, but it doesn't excuse him for the things he did. We all talked a while longer, and everyone asked questions. Black claims that he hasn't seen Harry in a few years. He claims that even though Forks and La Push are close, he barely leaves his house. I begrudgingly take him back to my place to have dinner with Bella when we're done. Aro was not pleased, but I knew I would upset Bella by not letting him come. When I help the fucker out, I see Bella at the front door smiling at us.

"Hey, Baby. You all right?" She smiles and nods her head at me.

"Hello again, Billy," she says cheerfully. I wheel Black inside, and we sit at the dinner table. I watch and listen as they talk back and forth. Even Seth and Leah talk to him; it's clear they remember him and seem happy he's here. By the end of the night, I didn't hate the fucker as much as I did this morning, but he's still not one of my favorite people. Felix comes to pick him up to take him home again. I'm sure he will also be having a word with Black about not saying anything to anyone about where Bella and the kids are. Not that I think he'll need the reminder; it's clear that he cares about them. I noticed that Bella never once looked at the ground tonight when talking to him.

"Edward, before I go, may I have a word with you, please?" I look down at Black and nod my head. I take him in my office and close the door, knowing Felix is right outside. "Harry is not all there in the head, but he's very smart. You'll need to tell her that you are the twins' father soon, because he will if you don't. As for Sue, she always has a back-up plan. She's very smart and completely diabolical. I honestly believe that she's smarter than most give her credit for. When it comes to cunning and cruel, she could've taught Ted Bundy a thing or two. The fact that she is so smart means that you just never know what her plan is until it's completed. Whatever you do, don't let her get her hands on those kids."

I nod my head at him. "I plan on keeping that bitch away – far away – from my family."

**~HCV~**

The next few days go by swiftly, and we get a shitload of information on Sue and Harry. I got the DNA results on Friday, and have been putting it off for a few days, but after talking with Peter, he and Jasper came up with a plan to tell Bella. Carlisle told Esme yesterday. She said that they would take the twins so that I could help Bella deal with this. That way, Bella could show her emotions without thinking that she was upsetting the twins. We all decided that the best course of action would be to sit down with Bella and explain everything in great detail, and then afterwards, we can tell the twins.

I'm brought out of my inner thoughts by my phone. "Hello," I answer without looking to see who it is calling.

"Edward, we locked in on Harry. Felix is getting him now and bringing him in!"

I feel the air leave my body. "I'm on my way." I stop myself from hanging up, remembering that I don't know where they are. "Where are you?"

Aro chuckles a little. "I'm at one of my warehouses. Garrett should be with you in a few minutes; he'll show you the way. I already assumed you would want to be here when they brought him in."

I smile even though he can't see my face. "Oh yes, I want to see the fucker." I hang up, telling Taylor that I need to leave. Bella's at home, so I don't have to worry about getting her there before I meet Aro.

Garrett arrives and I follow him to a storage facility on the outskirts of Seattle. I get out of my car and head into the building that Garrett enters. When I walk through the door, he leads me to another room where I see Jane.

Jane creeps me out a little bit; especially now that because she is standing there with this huge smile on her face. "Hey, Eddie. How's it hanging?"

I look at her and decide that since she scares the shit out of me, she can call me anything she wants. I let the Eddie slide. I clear my throat, looking at Garrett, who barely holds back his smirks. "I'm alright, thank you. How are you, Jane?"

Her smile, if possible, gets even bigger. "Oh, I'm good," she says to me. Turning to Garrett, she licks her lips and smiles even bigger. "How's it hanging, sweetie?" Jane asks and then looks down in her bag. She starts pulling out different, strange looking tools.

"To the left, Jane, just like always. We still on for tomorrow?"

She looks at him and nods her head, giving him a wink. "I'm always ready for you, Garrett." She gives him another wink before picking up another bag. "I better go get ready." At that, Jane turns and walks into the other room. I look at Garrett, who is watching Jane retreat while licking his lips.

Turning to me, he smiles like the cat that ate the canary. "She's really hot when she does this stuff, and afterwards, sex with her is like magic. I wish I could get her to settle down with me." I try not to look at him as if he's insane, because Jane really makes my balls shoot up inside me. Right now, they're so far up I don't think they'll ever come back down.

"This way, An... Edward. It sure is strange calling you by another name. Hey, how are things with little Isabella?"

I look at him and smile. "Things are great between us. She's fucking great. It's just all this outside shit that's falling apart."

Garrett gives me a nod. "I'm sure everything will work out alright, but I miss seeing you at the club. Don't get me wrong, I would hurt you if you fucked around on little Isabella, but I miss our little chats. Well, that and you were always the best tipper."

I roll my eyes at him as we walk into the last room, and I see Harry... or James... whoever in the fuck he is calling himself these days, tied to a chair with Aro sitting across from him.

The fucker looks up at me and smiles. "Well, well, well... look what the cat dragged in. How are you, Edward? I hear you've been fucking the little slave girl. Sue is going to be pissed when she finds out you lost her the two million bucks. She just closed the deal yesterday with some guy named Paul." I look at Aro, who jumps up to grab his phone. "But Paul said that if she came touched, he'd still take her for half a million. He really wants that piece of ass, but he sure doesn't like you much."

All the rage and hate I have for this man for what he has done to Bree and put my Bella through, is eating away at me. All of it. I mean, this motherfucker broke Seth's arm. I close my eyes, and when I open them again, I see nothing but him. Without even thinking about what I'm doing, I hit the fucker as hard as I can. I just keep hitting him until I feel someone pull me back. With the rage still blinding me, I knock whoever it is off of me and hit Harry again.

Suddenly, I feel a lot more people dragging me back. I feel a sting on my face, and I look around to see Aro shaking his head. Garrett has his arms wrapped around my waist, Felix is holding my left arm, and Emmett is on my right. I have no clue when he got here. Standing right in front of me is Jane.

"Jane, I don't think you needed to slap him," Aro says as he walks over to us. That fucking bitch slapped me!

"He was out of it, and it brought him back didn't it? Besides, I get to do the beating up around here," she huffs, walking away from me to bend down and look at Harry. I look down as well, noticing that I knocked the fucker out. I can't help but grin about it. "Wipe that look off your face! You broke some of his ribs and his nose. That's my job, Assward!" Jane jumps up and walks over to her bag. She brings out some jars and sets them in a line on the desk.

"Eh... what the hell is in those jars?" Emmett asks, as he gives me a look to ask if I'm alright. I nod and the three of them release me.

"Oh, these are my cock jars. You see, these are from the other assholes who I've dealt with in the past. Men who misuse their cocks to rape others, don't get to keep them." Jane smiles at Emmett and he gives her a scared shitless smile in return.

"They... they're not real, right?" Emmett looks to Aro, but Aro looks away, making himself seem busy. Yep... my balls have taken permanent residence far, far up inside me.

"You keep that cock of yours in check there, big boy, and don't rape anyone, and you'll never need to find out!" Jane may have been directing her comments to Emmett, but we both nod our heads and cover our junk.

It takes an hour before Harry wakes up, and he's all smiles until Jane start her work. Both Emmett and I excuse ourselves from the room. I hate the fucker, and want him to hurt, but it's another thing to actually see it take place. Emmett and I are talking over the plans for tomorrow when my phone rings. I see that it's Bella calling, so I pick up.

"Hey, Baby, I'm sorry that I couldn't make it home for lunch..."

I'm cut off by Alice's voice. "Edward, you need to come home, now. Something is wrong with Bella. She's... I think she's having a really bad panic attack. I've already called Jasper; he's on his way, too."

I frown, looking at Emmett. "What the hell did you do to her, Alice?" I ask, jumping up and heading to my car with Emmett hot on heels.

"Nothing! I came to see Rose. I knew she was dropping things off for Emmett, and Bella said I could stay. When Rose got here, she asked for some paperwork that Emmett left for her. She told Bella it should be in your office. Bella was in there for ages, and Rose wasn't talking to me, so she stormed into your office and I followed. Bella was sitting in your chair, looking at the picture of Tanya and little Edward. She looked confused, so Rose told her who it was. After that, she just started shaking, saying that wasn't possible. She hasn't made much sense since then. Rose left, and I didn't know what to do. She keeps saying that you're going to leave her."

Fuck this can't be happening! Emmett jumps into the driver's seat of my car, and we take off to my house. I'm just hoping and praying that Bella can hold herself together until I get there. We get to my house in no time flat, and I run inside as fast as I can. The only thing I can see is my baby breaking down while Alice actually tries to console her.

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><p><strong>AN: Well some of you were guessing correctly and some of you were way off. I know there will be a plethora of questions on how this all took place and had the ability to happen, but if you have read the chapters and not skimmed them most of your questions have been answered. There will be much more detail coming, and I am assuring you that even with Uncle Harry caught the jig as they say is not up. Harry gave a startling bit of information, and now it seems we have to worry about Paul as well as Sue. I wonder if they have anyone else helping them? How many of you think that Aro makes a kick ass almost mob-ish cool guy? I personally love our Aro he is the bomb diggity! Can't wait to hear from you, so bring on the words, and show us some love. Kasi (&Nikky)**


	27. Chapter 27

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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**TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction**

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><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 27: Where Do We Go From Here?**

I look at Bella and Alice sitting there on the floor. Alice is in front of Bella holding her arms while Bella is shaking and crying. I walk toward them, both seeming to have missed Emmett and me coming in the room.

"He's going to hate me... they are all going to hate me. What should I do? This is so big. I... I didn't know. I swear I didn't know. Why... why would she lie about that? I did everything they ever asked. I never questioned them. She could have told me. I would've still loved them, I do still love them. Why? I... it's not fair, Alice." Bella's hand goes to her hair and she begins to grip and pull at it.

"Bella, please calm down. I'm not sure I fully understand what you're talking about, but Edward loves you very much, and he knows you. He will trust you, I'm sure..."

As I move forward, Alice stops talking and turns to me. This makes Bella look up at me, too. She looks broken and scared.

"Bella Baby," I say, holding my arms out to her. Instead of coming to me like I'd hoped, she shakes her head.

"You're going to hate me, but I swear I didn't know. I thought that... I thought I was the best for them. I didn't know really. I swear I didn't know. If I had, I would've looked for you, I swear. Mom and Harry couldn't have done or said anything that would've stopped me from finding you. If I knew, I would have made sure that they were where they belonged. I would have been punished, but I would have taken it happily knowing that they were safe and loved. I'm so sorry." I look at her, seeing her hurting, and I hurt too, because she is still putting herself last. "Your son, Edw..." She cuts off mid-sentence and begins to wail.

I reach for her arm and she allows me to hold it. "Baby, I know and it's alright. I saw your pictures of them in your apartment when I was cleaning up. I know and it's alright. I love you."

Bella shakes her head. "No, it's not alright. She lied. She made you think your son was dead! That she had died! You didn't even know about your daughter." I hear a gasp, and I know that it came from Alice. I ignore it, focusing my attention on Bella. "I only wanted them safe and happy. That has always been my dream and hope for them. I care about nothing else but for them to grow up and be happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults. I tried to give them what they needed, and to show them that I loved them. I know that it wasn't enough and that I failed them many times..." I go to speak, but Bella moves away from me, shaking her head.

"I know what I did, and I didn't even know that I was messing up. I didn't give them the right words for some of their body parts. I didn't teach them about Santa. I wasn't able to teach them about school or how school days are supposed to be. I couldn't even teach them how to read, or read to them as babies. I failed them so much. I couldn't give them what you and your family could have. They should've been with you. I would've gladly gone back to being alone if they were with you. I know... I see that you love them and so does your family. You should hate me. I'm no better than my mom... than Sue."

I look right at her, shocked that she would say that. "Bella, enough please. You've done so much for them – so much more than a lot of people would have. I really can't believe how you coped so well, how you managed it all by yourself. It amazes me just how much you did at such a young age, baby."

Her hands move to the top of her head and she grips her hair like she's trying to keep her mind together. "I can't breathe. I feel like someone is sitting on my chest. How do I tell them? How do I explain that I kept them from their real father? You're their dad! How do I tell them that?" Bella's breathing comes out in gasps as if she's struggling to breathe. I know that she's well on her way to having a full blown panic attack. I grip her arms and repeat her name until her eyes focus on me a little. "How can you touch me after what I've done to you? You should hate me for all the hurt I caused you."

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her against me. "No, I could never hate you. It would kill me if I ever hurt you. It's killing me right now to see you hurting so much." She struggles in my arms, trying to get away from me. I slowly slide us to the floor and continue to whisper her name and tell her that I love her.

"But... I... kept them... from... you! It was me. I prayed and begged to keep them with... me!" Bella screams out as her breathing becomes more labored.

I tighten my grip on her as she continues to struggle. When I look up, I see that Jasper has come in and looks like he's going to inject her with something. He looks right at me, silently asking for permission, so I nod my head slightly. I can feel her heart beating so fast. I know she needs medicinal help to calm down right now, because I haven't been able to assure her that everything is okay. I've always been able to calm her just by holding her, so I know that she needs extra help now.

"I'll leave... I will, but... I know that I have no right to ask to see them – to have them in my life – but I really want to... If you don't want that, then please, I beg you, let me at least say goodbye. Please don't just take them away from me. Please let me tell them – one last time – that I love them; that I always will. Please... please don't just take them away. I'm... so sorry."

Jasper moves forward, and I see that he's holding back tears. Bella looks at him and her struggles lessen, but she starts to beg. "No, please... I'm sorry. I'll be good... please! I'll stay in the walls... please don't use the needles. Please! I don't like them. Please, don't!" Bella is now shouting at the top of her lungs, looking scared shitless. Jasper gives me a nod, silently telling me to hold her down, which I do. "Please Jasper... please don't. I'll be good!" I watch a tear run down Jasper's face as he injects her with the sedative; we both know that it's needed. Without the medicine, she wasn't going to calm down, and she was getting more and more out of control by the minute.

It takes a little time before Bella goes limp in my arms. I hold her to me, kissing her head and talking to her the whole time. "I am so sorry. So sorry. You weren't supposed to find out like that. I know you're asleep now, but I want you to know that I'll never leave you or keep them from you. I hope that you can forgive me for keeping this from you for the few days we've known. Please, baby. I promise I'll make it better. I'm not sure how, but I will." I rock back and forth with her still cradled in my arms.

After five minutes or so of me whispering in her ear, I stand up with Bella still in my arms. "I'm going to take her up to bed. Could you pick up the twins, Emmett?" I turn a little, but not fully.

"Yeah... no problem. I can do that. I'll take them out to the park from a bit and grab a snack." I frown, hearing something off in Emmett's voice, so I turn to look at him. What I see makes my eyes tear up again, because he's standing there looking almost as upset as he did when he and Rose spilt up. I give him a weak smile and head upstairs.

I place Bella in our bed and begin pulling on my hair. I know that I fucked up again. I should've just told her, and then she wouldn't have found out like she did. I stroke her face, desperately trying to keep myself together for her and the twins. I move beside her and hold her to me as I rub her back and listen to her breathing.

"I love you so fucking much; you have no idea. I didn't even think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you and the twins. You've given me a reason to live, to truly have a life. You make me see beauty when all I used to see was darkness. Before you came into my life, I was tainted by this dark world. I believed all women were evil, maniacal users. You've given me the ability to see beyond the shadows that were covering my heart and soul. I will never take the twins from you. You're what's best for them, and for me, too. I swear if you allow me to, I'll make this up to you. I promise that I will." I kiss her again, feeling the past week catching up with me as I break down, letting go of the hurt and anger that has been buried inside.

"Edward?" I turn, seeing Carlisle and Esme standing at the bedroom door. "Why don't you come with me for a chat?"

I shake my head at him. "No. I want to be here when she wakes up. She needs to know that I love her and I need her in my life."

Esme walks forward, giving me a kiss on the head. "I'll be here, Edward, and I'll call for you if she wakes up. She's going to need you to get yourself sorted so that you can be there for her." I look at her and feel myself falling apart all over again, so I nod my head and turn back toward Bella. "I love you, baby. I'll be back soon." I kiss Bella's head before Carlisle helps me walk out of the room.

Carlisle has to practically carry me to my office, and when we get there, Jasper and Alice are both sitting there. Alice looks at me sadly. "I'll go and make dinner. Emmett is at the park with Seth and Leah right now. I just fed Christopher and he's sleeping in his bed. Holler if you need anything," she says, kissing Jasper's head and giving me a small smile before leaving the room.

"I should have told her. You all warned me that this could happen. But no, I had to do it my way. Fuck, how many times am I going to break this girl? I love her so much, but I keep hurting her time and again." I rub my face roughly. "She's better off far fucking away from me!"

"Stop the penitent thoughts, Edward. You were going to tell her. You were just concerned, and with good reason, as to how she would take it. Stop condemning yourself – that's one fault you and Bella seem to share. You both blame yourselves for others' wrong deeds. She will get through this, Edward, but you need to stop with all this self-hatred and guilt. Step up and deal with the fall out. Be there for her, and help her realize that she's not to blame." I look at Jasper, and he holds his hands up to silence me before I can say anything.

"I know from the way you were talking that you're going to start thinking she's better off away from you. The more you think that, the faster you'll end up leaving her or pushing her away. If you do that, it will make her think she's bad, and that she's responsible for everything. Neither of you are accountable for the actions of others. Do yourself and the rest of us all a favor and just stop now before it gets out of hand. Yes, she found out in a bad way, but I don't think this breakdown she's having is solely because of what she learned today. You've all been through so much these past few weeks. I don't think she would have taken the news any better if it was a controlled setting like you wanted. She's hurt, and she's angry. You need to show her how to process these emotions, because I don't think she understands them."

I sigh, rubbing my face again. "I don't think I can process everything that has happened. I feel like I've been pulled in a thousand different directions all at once. I've never seen her like that: so scared and helpless, so defeated. Fuck, last week was the first time I really saw her cry. When I came home and saw her, I couldn't take it. It just kills me to see her so lost and afraid."

Jasper walks over to me and sits on the edge of the table. "She's lost right now; it's all coming out about how her mom really was. She's seeing everything for the first time. She finally understands that her mom doesn't have feelings for her, Seth or Leah. Bella loves and wants them so much, and she can't understand why Sue doesn't feel the same way. I think she'll make it through this and come out a lot stronger, though." I close my eyes, trying to slow my breathing. I know that Bella's a strong person, but everyone has a limit. I just hope that this hasn't pushed her past hers.

I stand up, heading for the door. I want to be back with Bella again. "I'll talk to you soon. I just need to be next to her right now." When they nod their heads in understanding, I head to our room. I stop at the top of the stairs, deciding to call Emmett to check on Seth and Leah. I know Bella will ask about them the second she's awake.

I dial his number and wait. "Hey! How's it going?" His voice is upbeat and cheery, but I know that he's worried about Bella.

"Not so good. She's still asleep. Can you put me on speaker phone so that I can talk to Seth and Leah?"

Emmett chuckles. "Yep, I can do that... and you're on speaker."

"Hey, Edward! Emmie got us McDonald's tonight, and we got McFlurries, too," Seth says while eating.

"We also got a soda pop. The toys are really cool, but Emmie says we have to eat all our nuggets before we can have them," Leah adds on at the end.

"Don't tell Bella," they both say together, knowing that Bella doesn't like them getting soda during the week. They normally only get on it Saturdays.

"I won't tell her that you had some soda pop. Just be sure to run off some of that sugar energy at the park with Emmie, okay? I hope you're both having a good time." I try my best to keep my voice level.

"We're having a blast!" Leah says.

"We're missing Bella and you, too," Seth adds.

I shake my head. No matter what, they always seem to miss her so much. "I know, little man. She misses you too, and so do I. I'm going to let you go for now, but I'll see you in a little while."

I hang up and continue my way to our bedroom. As I approach the door, I hear Bella's voice. "Why would she do that, Esme? Why didn't he tell me? Does he think that I knew? I swear I didn't know. I'll move out if that's what he wants. I mean it. I'll miss him and the twins, but if that's what he wants then I'll do it." I stop from entering when I hear the heartbreak in her voice.

"Bella, honey, Edward doesn't want you to leave. I think I should tell you a story about my past; it may help. Would you like to hear it?" I slide down the wall to give Esme a chance, hoping that it will somehow help Bella.

"I was seventeen and so in love with my best friend, Robert. My mother didn't like him very much. He came from the wrong side of the tracks, as she put it. But I didn't care. When he told me that he loved me, it was one of the best days of my life. We started dating, and my mother started trying to split us up. She was a lot like Rose, believe it or not, but much worse. God, sometimes when Rose opens her mouth, I swear I hear my mother. My sister, Mary – Rose's mom – was a few years older than me, and so much under my mother's thumb that she did everything that was asked of her. Anyway, Robert and I started getting a lot closer as time went by. Our plan was to move away together on my eighteenth birthday. Robert was working hard at two jobs to save enough money for us. We were together for six months when I found out I was pregnant."

I frown, having not ever heard this before, and knowing Esme and Carlisle were never able to have children of their own.

"Robert was worried. You see, he was already nineteen, and I was still four months away from being eighteen. But he said that we could get married, and that he would work as hard as was needed for him to support his family. My mother was not pleased. She was so upset that she was going to have a grandchild that was part 'trailer trash,' as she put it. The months passed and I kept out of her way as much as I could.

"It was the week of my birthday when I snuck away to go see Robert. I went to the apartment he had gotten, but he acted very strange toward me. He wouldn't even look me in the eye. I knew my mother had something to do with it, so I went to her. We got into a huge fight. She told me that Robert's father was in prison, and due to get a hearing for early release. She told me she made sure that Robert knew she was a close, personal friend of the judge handling his case. She explained how she told Robert that a whisper in the judge's ear was all that was needed to have his father's parole refused.

"I was so mad. I screamed and yelled at her. I told her that I'd had enough of her hatred and bigotry, and that I was leaving for good. She slapped me so hard that I fell down the stairs. I felt shooting pains throughout my body, and I called for her. When she refused to help me, I managed to get to a telephone. I called Robert, and he came to take me to the hospital.

"The doctors said that the fall caused the placenta to rupture. I gave birth to a baby boy even though I was only twenty-eight weeks along. My son lived for three days before he passed away. They had to remove my womb to stop the blood loss, and informed me that I would never carry another child.

"The fall-out from this was big. I couldn't be in the same room with my mother anymore, and my sister was torn between us. My dad... well, he just kept working like he always did. Robert and I had so many fights. I know now that I caused most of them. I was so hurt and angry. We ended up splitting up three months later.

"It was six months after I had given birth that I was walking along some cliffs. I was so sad. I hadn't spoken to any member of my family in three weeks. My mother's parting words were ringing in my ears as I walked. She told me that it was for the best that I lost the trailer-trash child, and that I could never have another one. She said that since Robert had ruined me by inseminating me with trash, no decent child could be born to me anyway. I was walking close to the edge, and I just wanted to stop hurting. I went to step forward, but something pulled me back. When I landed on the ground, I looked up at this blond-haired, blue-eyed man. It was Carlisle."

I could hear Esme's voice picking up and not sounding as sad. "He saved my life that night. He listened as I told him my story, and as he did so, my anger faded. With the anger slowly being released, I also lost some of the despair that I was feeling. It took a while, but talking to him over the next several days helped, and as I let go of all the pain and anger, I felt more and more normal. I discovered after a while that I was falling in love with Carlisle – not just for saving me, but for his unconditional love and care for me. After some time, I found that I was a lot more in love with him than I had ever been with Robert. My mother was happy about my seeing Carlisle; because, of course, the Cullens were very well known and had shit loads more money than she did."

I hear Bella chuckle a little at Esme's slip up of a curse word. "I couldn't forgive my mother for what she had done, but I did let my family back into my life. My sister married the man she was told to marry, and she had Rose and Jasper just like my mother wanted. Mother made sure my sister started working on making Rose just like her, and by the way Rose has been acting, I'd say she did a pretty good job. I tried to make Mary understand that our mother wasn't the best person, but she never really listened to me.

"When she and her husband died, I was shocked to see that she made Carlisle and I legal guardians of Rose and Jasper. My mother was not happy at all, and she made that very clear. The last time I ever spoke with her was when she caused a big stink about it all. I set about trying to make sure that both Rose and Jasper felt loved, but I knew that I was not their real mother. I couldn't even be a second mom to them, but I thought the fact that I could love and care for them would be enough.

"It was after this that Elizabeth came in to my business. I liked her right away, so I gave her a job. Edward would come in often after school. He was such a sweet and loving boy; very charming. As the years passed and Elizabeth and I became friends, it was clear that she had her problems. Carlisle tried his best to help her however he could. He became her doctor, and tried to put her on medications that would help her.

"One day, I came in to find her extremely sad. I'm still not sure what triggered her depression, but it never went away. She called in sick, and it was about a week later that Edward had called to say his mom was in bad shape. Carlisle had no choice but to place her in the hospital. I told the child welfare worker that we could take care of Edward, but since we weren't family, they said no. A week later, Carlisle found out that Elizabeth had tried to kill herself. He was so mad at her, and when they spoke, he tried to show her that there were other ways to cope. She didn't seem to respond to him though, or even care.

"The next day when he went in, the social worker was there talking to her. They discussed what was best for Edward, and Carlisle told them again that we could take Edward while she got the help she needed. It was that talk that made her sign guardianship of Edward over to us; she wanted Edward to be safe. After that, it only took a few days before he came to live with us. Carlisle refused to allow the social workers to enter her room again, because he believed that they were making matters worse by causing her more stress.

"She called me up one day and wanted to see me. When I went to see her, she was still a mess. She told me that she was leaving the hospital, and that she wanted Edward to stay with us. I tried to get her to stay close to us, and not leave Edward behind. I knew that he would do anything for her. She was adamant that he was better off away from her – that she wasn't good enough to be his mother.

"Carlisle had gotten her into a clinic that dealt with mental health issues. He said that we should go along with her plan, and then after she saw the doctors there, she would come back for him. It broke my heart to see Edward so broken. It took him a long time to get over that, especially when she never came back. She even stopped calling Carlisle to ask about him. Carlisle tried to find her again, but since he was no longer her doctor, and she changed clinics, we had no idea where she was."

I never knew that my mom had called Carlisle to check on me. That was news to me. "He went to high school and then to college, where he meet Tanya. There was something off about her when we met. She reminded me of my mother so much. Once you meet evil, you can always see it in others; I mean real evil like my mother and Sue. I started trying to find out more about her. Everything that I found made me believe that she was hiding things. When I found her doing stuff with other guys and saying that she was pregnant, I knew that I couldn't keep it from Edward.

"To see him broken again, and to know that I failed to save him from her evil ways almost killed me. That's why I kept Tanya's return from him. I knew she was evil, and I had to deal with it. Even though Tanya was much more cool and calculated in her deception, I knew she was much like my mother. I had to keep Edward safe at any cost, even if it meant he would hate me for the rest of his life. Saving him from her evil clutches was the only thing that made me feel better about the whole situation.

"I still failed, though. The day the police came to inform him that they had died in that fire, Edward died, too. I hated myself for a long time. As the years passed, I would pray to see him happy again. I thought that if he fell in love and had a family, he would become the boy that I first saw. But it didn't work; the more I pushed, the farther he ran from me... us, his family. I remember the ball so well – the way he looked at you that night. I'm sure he didn't realize it, but he was in love with you even then. I watched him carefully, and saw the way he was with you. I knew in a heartbeat that you were good. I just prayed that you weren't too good to be true."

I never realized I had loved Bella then, but now I know Esme is right. I think I've loved Bella since she sat in my kitchen and opened that birthday card. "You've both dealt with so many problems, and you have overcome them together. You do know that you will get past this, too, right?"

Bella's response is so quiet I don't hear it. "Edward is so in love with you, Bella. When he discovered that the woman who hurt him in the past also hurt the love of his life, another piece of him died. He knows how much you love Seth and Leah. Edward could never take them away from you. He also knows what it's like to be abandoned by parents, and because of that, he could never make them feel that way.

"Because he saw how much you love Seth and Leah, and how much they love you, he kept this from you. He wanted to prevent you from getting hurt. He felt it was best to not tell you of his discovery until he was able to get it sorted in his own head. Honey, he planned to sit and talk to you about everything. He wanted you to know, but was afraid to hurt you. He would rather suffer a thousand deaths than hurt you.

"If you left him, he would let you go, but I know that wouldn't stop him from loving you for the rest of his life. I love Rose, Jasper, and Edward all very much. And you know they're not my children by blood. Still, I have a mother's love for each of them. I also feel that way for you. You don't need blood to be joined to someone. The bond that you have with Seth and Leah will always be present, and there is nothing that will ever change that: not Edward, not Sue, and certainly not who they are related to. They will always belong to you, and you will always be one of the most important people in their lives.

"One thing I know for sure is that Edward will always want to watch over and protect not only Seth and Leah, but you, as well. You just have to realize that having him watch over you doesn't mean that he'll always make the right choices. Try to always remember, though, that if Edward does make the wrong choice – like waiting to talk to you until he was ready, in this case – he only does it out of love for you and the need to protect your feelings."

I sniffle, hearing Esme's story and her explanations about my behavior. I know in a way, she was trying to explain to Bella why I didn't tell her when I found out, but I also now understand why she did what she did with Tanya... or Sue. Damn it, Zafrina is right. We need to have a name for her. I look up as the door opens, and I see Esme standing there crying. She gives me a little smile, and I immediately jump to my feet, truly hugging her to show her all my love.

"I am so sorry for being an ass to you over these last several years. I love you, Esme, very much. You have always been a great mom to me. I promise that I'll do better by you, and be a better son." She pats my back and I kiss her cheek. For the first time ever, I show her true affection, not because I need to, but because I want to.

"Hush, son. We all made mistakes. Now get in there to your girl. I'll go get dinner started." Esme kisses my cheek and gives me a big smile.

"Alice is already starting it, I think." Esme's face goes pale at my words.

"Oh, shoot, Edward! I better get down there unless you want me to have to remodel your kitchen." I chuckle until it hits me that Alice isn't normally allowed to cook. I sigh, rubbing my face roughly. Not hearing the fire alarm is a good thing, right?

When I open the bedroom door, I see Bella hugging my pillow against her chest. "Hey, baby."

She turns and looks right at me. "Edward, I'm so sorry." She jumps into my arms, crying out her apologies. I hug her tightly while rubbing her back for a few minutes. Finally, I place her on the bed and crouch down on the floor to look her in the eye.

"Bella Baby, stop please. It's not your fault. I need you to listen to me, okay?" She nods her head and takes my hands in hers.

"I know I should've told you the day I found out, but I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. I was scared to hurt you, or make you hate me. I was afraid there was no way it was true, but after talking it out, I knew they were mine. I think that's part of why I love you so much; you protected my children, you saved them. You are the best mother they could ever have. I watch them with you frequently, and Bella, they adore you. You will always be first to them, and I would never change that. It's clear to me that if you knew, you would've told me. You've always put them first and you always will. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I was planning on telling you tomorrow. I was scared that it would break you... break us. I love you so much – more than I ever thought I could love someone. I love the twins, too. I loved them even before I knew they were my kids." My voice breaks as I begin to sob a little.

"I thought he was dead, and I didn't even know about Leah. I didn't get to see them growing up. I missed their first steps, their first words; everything. It kills me that I missed out on so much of their lives." Bella's hand goes to my hair as she runs her fingers through it. I look at her, seeing her tears fall silently down her face.

"I will never take them from you. If you can't be with me because it hurts too much, or because of who I was with to father them, I'll understand, but please let be part of your life in some way. Any way you want or need, just don't... please don't push me away."

Bella frowns a little, so I clear up what I'm trying to say. "Bella, I love you, and it would kill me to let you go, but I understand that SHE hurt you. I've been with her. I even thought that I loved her. She hurt you, though, and I understand if it's too much for you to get past. I know that you'll never keep Seth and Leah away from me, so that's why I didn't ask about them. But for me not to be part of your life... for you to leave..." I stop as my sobs become too much, and I close my eyes, trying to calm myself. I feel Bella kiss my head.

"I love you, too, Edward. I don't want to leave. I thought that once you knew, you wouldn't want me anymore. I know the pain she..." I stop her by kissing her.

"You don't want to leave, and I don't want you to go, so we're still together, right?" Bella nods her head.

"How do we tell them?" I know what she's asking.

I look at her and shrug my shoulder a little. "Together. We tell them together. We'll get through this as a family. We also have Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, Zafrina, Aro, Peter, and Chas helping. Hell, even Alice is helping. We'll get through this together and be stronger than ever."

Bella and I lie on the bed, hugging each other for who knows how long. We talk about how best to handle things, and decide that we need to discuss it with everyone else first. We will tell the twins tomorrow after we meet with Jasper, Peter, and Samantha.

Carlisle came up to let us know that Emmett had called to say he would be here soon. Alice had in fact burned dinner, so Esme was going to make some soup and sandwiches for us and asked if we minded if the kids came home with them. We agreed it was best.

Emmett had already told the kids that Bella had a headache, and that was why he was taking them to the park. When they returned, Esme told them that Bella wasn't feeling well and that they were going to go home with her and Carlisle for the night. They came up to our dimly lit room and gave us both hugs and kisses. They excitedly tell us about going to spend the night at Esme's. I'm grateful for the dim light in our room so the kids can't see the puffiness and tear streaks we both have on our faces.

After they leave for the evening, Bella and I manage to eat a bit of the food Esme left for us. We talk more while sitting at our kitchen table. As we finally nod off for the night in each other's arms, we are at peace, knowing that we will face it all together.

**~HCV~**

We talked to everyone today, and listened to what they had to say. Seth and Leah are home now, and Carlisle and Esme have just left to give us family time. Samantha has her cell with her, and said that she would be happy to come over if we need her today. Still, we went ahead and booked an appointment with her for Monday after school, knowing that the twins will need to talk to someone, and they already know and are comfortable with Samantha.

We're all sitting around the dining room table. Seth and Leah are across from Bella and me. "Are we in trouble? I swear whatever happened, it wasn't us," Leah says as Seth nods his head.

"No. Neither of you are in any trouble, but we have something to tell you, and you need to put on your listening ears and pay close attention. This is a very important conversation, so make sure those ears are ready to listen." I watch Bella talk to them, and smile as all three of them wiggle their ears with their fingers.

"Good. Now, if we say something you don't understand, you need to tell us right away, but keep any questions you have until the end, okay?" They both smile at Bella and nod their heads.

"Do remember the police officers that came by looking for Uncle Harry?" They both become a little scared and hold each other's hands and nod their heads. "Well, they gave us some more information about Mom. You see, Mom did something." Bella stops and takes a breath. "Actually, she did a lot of things that were wrong. One of the things she did was pretend to be other people." Both of the twins look confused, and Bella sighs, scratching her head. "You remember watching the movie The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl?" They both nod their heads, and I roll my eyes, hoping that we don't need to watch that film again.

"Now, Sharkboy is played by an actor named Taylor. We also saw him in a movie where he was a shape-shifter named Jacob. It was all an act. He was pretending to be both Sharkboy and Jacob. Mom was like that, but she wasn't on TV, and she only did it to get money and other things from people. Mom was dishonest about the things she did, and she didn't care if she hurt others." They both nod their heads but look a little confused.

"About nine years ago, she pretended to be a girl named Tanya." Both kids' eyes find mine, and they look upset. "She met Edward back then, and he didn't know that she was lying about her name." Bella stops as both the kids start to cry. "Seth? Leah?" She says their names in a sobbing voice.

"But wasn't that the girl you had a son with... the one that died?" Seth asks. I look to Bella, who looks back at me; we're both unsure of how they know this.

"We heard you talking one night. You would be a great dad," Leah says as she looks at me.

Bella holds up her hands to silence the table. "Okay, well you're right. Edward thought that his son had died in a fire."

Seth nods his head but Leah looks at Bella. "Wait, what do you mean he 'thought'? Do you mean that he's still alive? Does that make him our brother if we have the same mom? Or is it different because she lied about her name?" Leah is about to keep going with her questions, but Bella holds her hands up again.

"You're right, Leah, but you see, both of you were the children she had. You are Edward's children. He is your real dad." They both start crying even harder, and have a firm grip on the other's hand. "I'm sorry. I... she said that you were Dad's... I mean, that Charlie was your father. I didn't know..."

I rub Bella's back to calm her down, because the emotions are starting to become too much for her. "Seth, Leah. I want you both to know that I didn't know either. I'm not sure why she lied to Bella or me. I don't know why she didn't let me keep you. I swear to you both that if I knew, I would've had you with me. I love you so very much. I know this is a lot to take in and that..." I stop as Seth holds his hand up. "Yes, Seth?"

He looks between Bella and me. "Is Bella still our sister? I want her to still be my sister."

I meet his gaze and know I can't lie to them. "She will always be with you no matter what. However, she does not share a parent or DNA with you. All three of you have such a strong bond, though. That bond is stronger than any parent and child or siblings normally share." They all nod their heads in agreement.

Seth and Leah look at each other and then back at me. "Can we talk to Bella alone for a few minutes?"

I look over at Bella, who looks thoughtfully at them for a minute. Then she smiles at them while shaking her head toward me. "We just need a few minutes."

I nod my head at them all. "I'll be in the kitchen," I say, getting up and leaving the room while trying not to worry.

When I get to the kitchen, I begin making soup and sandwiches for lunch. I'm so wrapped up in my thoughts that I don't hear the three of them come in.

"Edward, can we sit at the breakfast bar?" I turn to see them already sitting there, so I walk over and sit down with them.

"We wanted to talk to Bella about this first," Seth starts off.

"She's really important to us, and we don't mean to be bad, but we'll always choose her."

I nod my head at them. "I understand. I would never ask you to make that choice."

They both give me a small smile. "But we love you, and we know that you love Bella." Again, Seth starts off.

"And we know you love us very much, too. You make our family complete," Leah says with a smile. I smile back her until she frowns. "Well, it's complete for now. It'll be completer after you and Bella have babies. Is completer a word, Bella?" Bella shrugs her shoulders.

"Anyway, Leah and I have talked to Bella, and if it's alright with you, we would like to call you Dad," Seth says questioningly, looking worried at the end. Glancing at Leah, I see she does as well. I feel Bella's hand squeezing my arm, and when I look at her, she nods her head and mouths 'I love you' to me.

I choke back the sobs fighting to escape. "I would really like that, more than anything in this world. I would really, really like that," I manage to choke out. They both jump up and hug me tightly. I look to Bella and smile while pulling her in for a family hug.

After a little while, I let them all go and we all sit back down. "Edw... I mean, Dad?"

I look toward Seth. "Yeah?" I say with a smile at hearing him call me Dad for the first time.

"Well, you know how Carlisle and Esme are sort of your mom and dad?" I nod my head at him, so he continues. "And you're our dad... so does that make them our grandpa and grandma? I mean, do you think we could call them that? They act like they like us, and we've never had a grandpa and grandma before." He and Leah both look really excited now.

"Well, there's Zafrina, who has always been kind of a grandma to us, and Aro is like a really young grandpa, but I don't think we should call them the same names as Carlisle and Esme."

"You could call Aro, Nonno, and Zafrina, Nonna. Those are the Italian names for grandpa and grandma, and since they are of Italian decent, they would like that." Seth nods his head as I explain, and they both turn to look at Bella questioningly.

"I think they would love that," she says with a smile.

"Carlisle and Esme would love it if you called them Grandma and Grandpa, and I think Aro and Zafrina would, too. Actually, I really think they would all love to know that you think of them that way." I choke back another sob as I look at them. They're my children, and they are so level-headed and caring it's unbelievable. I know it's all because of one person – Bella.

"Well, I made some soup," I say. Turning to the stove, I see that I left the burner on, and that the soup is now scorched on the bottom of the pan. "Darn... well, I did make soup, but it isn't edible now. How about we go out and get lunch? We can call Carlisle, Esme, Zafrina, and Aro to come over for dinner tonight if you want. We can make something special, and you can tell them then, okay?"

They all nod their heads at me excitedly. "Go get washed up and put your jackets and shoes on." Both the twins run off, and Bella hugs herself into my chest.

"I know they took that pretty well, but I'm still worried about them. I mean, shouldn't they be more upset?"

I shake my head and shrug slightly. "I honestly don't know, but they have a meeting with Samantha soon. As long as we're here for them and for each other, we'll make it through this, baby. I promise." I kiss her deeply before swatting her ass playfully. "Come on, let's get our jackets on."

We head to the grocery store, deciding to pick up some fresh fruit and chips for a picnic. While we're there, I call Midnight Sun and ask Eric to make sandwiches that we can take to-go. We grab a few things for dinner tonight, and drop it off at the restaurant when we pick up our sandwiches before heading to the park for our lunch. It was good to go out as a family for a bit. We swing by Midnight Sun again to grab our groceries and then head back home by one. I sit with the twins while Bella preps and starts a roast for dinner tonight.

Sitting here and doing things with the twins is nothing new. Now they call me Dad, though, and that makes my insides flutter. I felt like my heart would burst the first time they called me Dad. Hearing it makes me so happy. They still call us Beeward when talking to both of us, but it doesn't bother me. The nickname has grown on me.

Bella and Leah are setting the table when the doorbell rings. "Dad, can I open the door?" Seth asks, standing next to the door and waiting patiently. I chuckle, nodding my head at him.

He opens the door, and I see that everyone arrived together. "Hello, Seth. You're answering the door tonight?" Esme asks as she smiles at him.

"Yeah, I asked Dad if it was alright first, though. May I take you jackets?" I shake my head at him and smile as they all give him their jackets one at a time.

"Can you hang them up for me, please, Dad?" Seth looks right at me.

"Yes, of course," I say. He hands me the jackets and hurries off.

"I take it the talk went well, then?" Carlisle asks me as the others look at me with smiles on their faces.

"Yes. It went better than I thought it would. They seem to be more worried about losing Bella as a sister than anything else."

They all nod their heads. "That's completely understandable," Aro says as he walks over to me.

"Well, come on in everyone. Why don't we have a seat in the living room?"

They follow me into the living room where Leah and Bella are already sitting. I take a seat next to them as the others all sit down as well. When Seth comes in, he sits next to Leah. "The reason we asked you here was because Seth and Leah wanted to ask you all something."

They all smile and Seth starts to speak. "Carlisle and Esme, both Leah and I love you very much. We know that you're like Edward's mom and dad, so we thought because he's our dad and you already act like it, maybe we could call you Grandpa and Grandma?"

I watch as Esme begins to cry, and Carlisle looks as if he's holding back his own tears. "We would really like that, and we love both of you... all of you so much."

I look to Zafrina and Aro, who both look happy and teary at this, too.

"Aro and Zafrina, we know that you're not really related to us, but we love you, too. You've always been good to us. We would like to call you Nonno and Nonna, if that's okay?" Leah questions, biting her lip.

When she is done speaking, Zafrina jumps up. "I miei piccolo... it would be an honor for you to call me that." Zafrina hugs each of them and then Bella and me. Soon, everyone is up hugging each other, and happy tears are being shed all around.

We settle down for dinner and enjoy the family dynamic. Esme brings up the Spring Ball that is happening soon. I look at Bella questioningly, because I want to take her. Zafrina notices and says that she can take the twins overnight, not so subtly mentioning that it's her right and privilege as their Nonna. I chuckle as she starts speaking more in Italian, and Leah seems to be picking it up quickly.

**~HCV~**

It's a few days after the big reveal, and the twins are still dealing with the news well. They're both seeing Samantha, though. I think it's helping them immensely. After talking with Samantha, it's clear that they worry mainly about losing Bella. Samantha has been talking to them about many different family situations to show that sometimes things are not what most consider normal. She told them that as long as there is love and respect, nothing else matters. I think they finally understand everything a little better, and are handling it like troopers.

Samantha seems to think that they're doing well and are very strong. She has explained to the twins that our family may be different from others, but that being different is a good thing. Samantha explained that if or when Bella and I get married, she'll still be their sister and I'll still be their dad. It's clear to all of us that they really think of her as more of a mother than anything else, but they still call her their sister. Samantha says the hardest thing to get around is the confusion of how they were raised to believe that Bella was their sister, but that she has always been more of a mother to them. Samantha also suggested that we speak with the school to make them aware of our whole family dynamic. So far, everything has gone well. I just hope it stays that way.

Bella, on the other hand, has had her ups and downs. She breaks down, but tries to hide it from us. There have been a few nights when I've been awoken by Bella having nightmares, too. Jasper thinks that her mind is starting to open up, and it's making her face the things from her past. He's been amazingly understanding and patient with me, because I've often lost it, screaming at him for no real reason. Each time, he tells me that this is all for the best, and that it will only make her stronger. Alice has been really supportive, too. I've actually kept out of her way. She seems to have accepted that Rose isn't talking to anyone, and she's slowly becoming the girl that I used to spend my lunch hours with. The change in Alice's attitude has messed with my head a little, but it's nice to see her being kind and sweet again.

Yesterday, I walked in on a small argument between Alice and Bella, and I know it was over me. Bella told me that she would give Alice until Sunday to speak to me herself, and if she hadn't, then Bella would tell me herself. She said that since it was about Alice, she felt that Alice should have a chance to speak with me first.

I'm not surprised to see Alice in my office today. "Edward, can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

I nod my head and wave for her to follow me in before motioning for her to have a seat in front of my desk. I move to my chair and take a seat myself. It's not that I want to talk to her, but more because I'm curious as to why Bella was telling her off like a disobedient child the other day.

"Let me say what I came here to say without interruptions, please. I'll let you talk at the end, but I need to say this all first." I nod my head at her, silently telling her to continue.

"Okay, well, you know that I'm small, and at school I looked so much younger than I really was. Before you came into my life, I wasn't eating, and I started doing drugs to keep myself from being hungry. When my mom and dad found out, they sent me away and told everyone that I was visiting my grandparents. Anyway, the doctors said I had several problems. I let my skewed view of myself make me do irrational things. I also have a personality disorder. After living in a rehab center for a while, and being put on medication to help with my disorder, I went back home."

I watch her for a few minutes as she fidgets a little, knowing that she is embarrassed to tell me all of this.

"Once back home, I started eating and went to a new school. I spotted Jasper right away, and I fell in love with him. I'm ashamed to admit that I started stalking him. He only ever spoke to Rose, so I thought that if I was her friend, then he'd talk to me, too. It's hard to be friends with Rose, though. She only liked people like her, so I copied her. It didn't really work the way I wanted it to. Rose only liked me some of the time – mainly if she didn't have anyone else to speak to."

I can see the anger she's displaying, and I think it's finally sinking in that Rose has always been this way.

"Then you arrived, and I saw you with Jasper. I stood back for a while and watched you guys together. I knew that if I befriended you, it would help get me in with Jasper, so I took the chance. We became friends, and it felt really good... I felt so free, and for the first time in a long time, I was happy. I really liked you, and when Jasper asked me to go out with him, I was over the moon. Rose finally started talking to me, and she told me that we were friends, but hanging with you wasn't a good thing to do. She played on my insecurities, and I found myself wanting her approval, so I started acting like her. I couldn't stop, and the more she commented on it, the more I became like her. She would tell me to keep Jasper away from you, so I would. I gained what I thought were friends."

I can see this isn't easy for her, but a part of me wants her to suffer for all the hurt she caused me.

"Then came that night in my room – the conversation you overheard. We were talking, and I played my part so well. I told them all that I thought you were a boring freak because I didn't want to lose Jasper. Rose made it sound like he would dump me if she asked him to. I didn't know then that you overheard me. When you steered clear of us after that, Rose tried to tell Jasper that you liked me and you were jealous. She sounded so sure that I began to believe her, but Jasper laughed it off, saying it was bullshit."

I can't believe Rose. What a piece of work! I never showed any interest in Alice other than friendship; she was like family to me.

"But I thought you did because she was so sure. She said that you would break Jasper and me up. She wanted you to date someone, so that's why I pushed it. It wasn't too long after Tanya that Rose started saying you still had a thing for me. Jasper laughed again, telling her that she was being absurd. I thought that I could fix you, so over the years I tried to set you up with people. At the ball, when I saw Bella with you, I was upset because I was trying to fix you up."

God, I hate remembering that night! What a train wreck it was from the very beginning.

"If I'm being honest, I was jealous, too. I saw how you looked at her, and I knew that you had never looked at me like that. I was pissed that you weren't in love with me. I had convinced myself that something was wrong with us. But the way you look at her... I know now that Rose lied. I was angry about everything, so I took it out on you and Bella, both."

Jealous! Alice was jealous over me? Wow! That is something I didn't expect.

"Then Jasper kept going on and on about her, and I felt like I was losing him to her, too. It took over a year for Jasper to notice me, and then another six months of sitting together at lunch before he asked me out. One lunch with Bella, though, and he adores her."

I smile slightly because it's true. Bella has the ability to make anyone with a pure heart love her instantly.

"I'm sorry for what I did. I told Jasper everything last night – even what I said in my bedroom that night you overheard me talking. I know it's the reason you kept away. He explained to me why he laughed when Rose was telling me that you liked me. He said that you told him within a few weeks of our lunches together, that you thought of me as a little sister. I know now that I ruined everything."

I look up at her, understanding some of what she went through, but I need a little more from her. "How did you know that I heard what you said in your room?"

She looks at me and smiles slightly. "You know, Bella is really nice, and I wish I had someone like her at school. She would have been a perfect role model for me. I really want to be like her. She asked me outright what was going on in my head." Alice chuckles a little.

"I told her everything. She said that I needed to tell Jasper, and it slipped out that you knew. I told her that I didn't want to lose him, and that I didn't know if I would be able tell you to your face what I did. She told me everything happened for a reason, and that it would really help if I cleared the air. No more lies or secrets. She said after everything that's happened in these last few months, we, as a family, needed to be open with each other and have the other's back."

"Bella is very smart," I say with a smile.

"She said that she would be there for me, but I had to start making my own decisions. She said I needed to learn to love myself. As for forgiveness, I didn't need to ask her for it; I already had it. I gave her a strange look because I didn't get it. She told me then that we all make mistakes in life, and everyone needs forgiveness. She said we should openly forgive each other for our wrong doings, and that there is no limit to what some can ask to be forgiven for."

I nod my head, because I can picture Bella saying that, and I agree with her completely.

"She said she cares for me and hopes that one day we can be friends because she wants to keep me in her life. Since I'm really trying to change, I agreed to be her friend. It's what I really want. You know Bella explained to me that what her mom or Sue... whatever her name is... Bella explained that she could forgive her mom for what she did to her, but she's finding it hard to forgive her for what she did to Leah, Seth, and you. She said she's talked with Jasper and her pastor about it, and hopes that she can get there eventually, but she doesn't have a place in her life for her mom right now. Bella doesn't wish her harm or ill health; she just feels that she no longer needs or wants her close to her or her family."

I look at Alice, realizing that she got the same speech Bella gave me. I understand what Bella has been trying to tell me now. Sometimes we have to move on and forgive others. Second chances are there for a reason. I know it's partly my fault for letting things fester for so many years and not confronting Alice long ago. I know that I need to be the bigger man and give her a second chance, because Bella is right about moving on and forgiving others.

"Alice, thank you for explaining your side. You have my forgiveness, too. I don't know if we can ever be as close we once were, because I really did see you as a sister, but I think we could be friends again. We just need to take it one step at a time."

Alice jumps up and comes around the desk to hug me. "Thank you so much, Edward."

I pat her back, remembering her controlling ways. "But, Alice, no means NO!"

She nods her head at me. "Yeah, Bella and Jasper said that, too."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well we all learned a little more this chapter about Esme, and why she hid the hurt from Edward. We learned a little bit about Alice and her behavior. I guess she isn't bad, but let's not let her cook anymore. I for one am glad that Edward and Alice had a talk. The next chapter is titled 'She Devil'... We are guessing that you will figure out that Sue is going to make her first appearance in the story. What did you all think of the reaction of Seth and Leah and them calling Edward Dad? Looking forward to reading your thoughts, please review. Kasi (& Nikky)**


	28. Chapter 28

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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**~HCV~  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 28: She Devil<p>

The rest of February and March had come and gone. There was still so much going on. Seth got his cast removed, and for the past couple of weeks has been practicing like crazy with the band. Bella's bruises have faded, and everyone is less scared now that Harry has been caught.

When Jane was done with Harry, Aro passed him over to the police. To say the cops were surprised when he walked in, what looked to be his own free will and handed himself over, would be putting it mildly. Then he surprised them again by going over everything he had done in the past thirty years.

Harry has confessed to sixteen counts of murder, twenty-five counts of rape – including all the ones that he did posing as James Hunter at Forks High School, sixty counts of obtaining money by deception or fraud, two counts of breaking and entering – once when he busted the door and the other time when he entered through a window from the fire escape, one count of second degree burglary, three counts of attempted kidnapping, and two counts of child endangerment.

Harry also gave the police a lot of information in great detail. Not only did he spill the beans on all of his own crimes, but the crimes of Charlie and Sue Swan, as well. He even revealed that his and Sue's given names are Harris and Susanna Clearwater. Harry being two years older than his sister, Sue, and currently forty-two.

Sadly, Harry didn't know, or give up, the exact whereabouts of Sue. The last report he had was of her and Paul last month in a hotel in Los Angeles. Aro is still on the lookout for both Sue and Paul. He was told yesterday that Paul was afraid for his life, and boarded a plane to South Africa after finding out that Aro put a bounty on his head.

Bella and I are growing stronger by the day. She still struggles at times, and finds it hard to express what she feels. She worries about showing any negative emotions in front of me or the kids. She's been angry... really angry at times, too. After talking to both Peter and Jasper about her pent-up anger, we devised a plan to help her. I took her and showed her how to work the punching bag in the gym. It's a great way to get rid of anger and aggression. Bella surprisingly took to it really well, and is quite good at punching the bag. Emmett and I helped her with a workout program that she and I do every morning before Seth and Leah get up. I must admit that she looks damn sexy in her workout gear and boxing gloves.

Bella's form of self-therapy is her art, and she's thrown herself into it with zest. Esme has helped Bella create a portfolio, and even managed to get Bella a job. Esme was hired to decorate a nursery, and she showed the expectant parents some of the paintings Bella has done. They wanted her to paint a mural on one of the walls in the room.

Last week we received her test results, and she passed her GED with flying colors. She may not have been in the top ten percent, but she did really fucking well. It took a lot of work, but I managed to convince her to apply to the University of Washington for some art courses. After some discussion over the next few days, she decided to major in Art with a minor in English since she loves to read so much.

We filled out the applications together, and had a great time that night being playful. I finally have the ability to let go – to be able to relax – and I'm happy when I'm helping her. Going to college will help her, too. After we finished the paperwork, we went in together to see Marcus, and he welcomed her to the college when we handed in the application. Bella quickly told him she hadn't been accepted yet, but Marcus only laughed, saying that after the art department sees her work, they'll be begging her to join.

We also had the lawyer from her grandfather's estate get back to us. When he passed away, he left Bella photos, jewelry, a bunch of items in storage, and half a million dollars. This is all on top of what is due to Bella when she turns twenty from her mother's estate. She wasn't too happy about taking the money, and she repeatedly said that all she wanted was a picture of her family.

Emmett assured her that the money was her birthright and legacy, and she should take it. It's now in the final stages of the process, and Bella should be receiving the check sometime next week. During this process, Emmett was able to uncover a bit of truth. Bella's grandfather fought to keep her after Renee's death. During the legal battle, she was placed in a state orphanage. Unfortunately, the State of Washington doesn't recognize grandparents' rights, and since Charlie was Bella's biological father, he won sole custody.

Emmett has been able to get the papers ready to file for me, too. After talking with Bella, I'm petitioning the court for full custody of Seth and Leah – as their biological father. The court date is scheduled for June twentieth, which is also my twenty-ninth birthday.

The private detective we used to try to find Sue Swan managed to find Charlie's thought-to-be-dead mom. Right away, Jasper and I told Bella about finding Nettie Swan, and who she was. Bella wanted to wait to meet her, but asked us to have her checked out first.

Right now, Emmett and Cam are still living with us. I'm amazed with Bella; she really is a natural mother. Not that Emmett is asking us to care for Cam or anything... Bella just wants to. Rose hasn't talked to anyone from the family in weeks. However, she has been seen with her grandmother, which really hurt Esme. Esme believes that it is her mother's influence on Rose that has caused her total disregard of Cam – not to mention her behavior.

I'm so proud of Seth and Leah. This past month hasn't been easy on them, but they've held their heads up high and got on with it. There's been some name calling at school. Now, I know kids can be cruel, but the things they are saying are coming from older mouths first. Things no parent should be saying in front of their children. Bella and I have addressed this with the school regarding the problems, but we've been brushed off like nothing is going on. Mrs. Crown, the principal, said that people will talk. She went on to point out that I was, after all, Seth and Leah's father, and I was shacking up with their big sister. The way she said it implied that Bella and I were doing something wrong. After her rather rude little speech, I called Caius and explained the whole thing to him. To say that he was angry is putting it mildly. He went as far as taking the principal in front of the school board, and she was put on a written warning. Not only is her job and tenure in jeopardy, but her whole career as well. Since we have proof that she knowingly let kids and adults harass the twins, she was warned that a lawsuit would be filed if the behavior continued. Her biggest mistake was being aware of what Seth and Leah have been through these past five months, and yet doing nothing to help stop the harassment.

Caius informed me of another school that had room for more students. It was a small school that only had a little over one hundred students. It went from kindergarten to fifth grade, and each class had around fifteen children per classroom. It was a private school, and ranked in the top ten of all schools in Washington State's education program. There was a sister school that managed grades six through twelve, which also ranked in the top ten. Both schools are quite prestigious and expensive, but cost is of no matter. It's near where Esme and Carlisle live for one, but that also causes us transportation issues to and from school. Bella and I talked about it, and then we all discussed it in family therapy. Seth and Leah have asked to be able to finish out the school year where they are before deciding. We agreed that this was the right choice for right now.

**~HCV~**

We are currently at the spelling bee, and it's down to the last two. I am absolutely beaming with pride that Leah is one of the finalists.

"Leah, your word is interrupted."

Leah closes her eyes like she has done for every word. "Interrupted... I – N – T – E – R – R – U – P – T – E – D... Interrupted?"

She looks to the MC, who returns her smile. "That is correct."

I lean over, kissing Bella's head before clapping along with Bella, Seth, and the rest of the audience.

"Sonny, your word is disagreeable."

Sonny, who is a year older than Leah, smiles before answering. "Disagreeable... D – I – S – A – G – R – E – E – A – B – L – E... Disagreeable." Again, everyone claps.

"Leah, your word is hallelujah." Shit this one's hard.

I watch Leah bite her lip. "Hallelujah... H – A – L – L – E – L – U–" Leah stops for a second and frowns. "A – H... I know that's wrong. I missed a letter, but I just can't remember what it is," she says, looking disappointed.

"Sorry, Leah. You have misspelled the word. Sonny, can you spell hallelujah?"

Sonny looks at Leah, and then to the MC before he closes his eyes. "Hallelujah... H – A – L – L – E – L – U – J – A – H... Hallelujah."

Leah rolls her eyes, smiles at him, and claps, knowing that he got it correct.

"Well done, Sonny. You are our 2012 Spring Spelling Bee Champion!" We all stand and clap. They hand the medals out, and Leah gets silver for coming in second.

"You did great, Leah. So great! I'm so proud of you!" Bella hugs her and smiles sincerely.

"Princess, I am so proud of you, too. Well done!"

Seth gives her a little chuckle. "Yeah, Sis, I couldn't even get the word 'scorned' spelled right."

Leah smiles at us all. "I really loved it. It was so silly of me to forget the 'j' in hallelujah, but I had a great time."

"Well, princess, since you did so well today, you can pick what we do this evening."

She looks at Seth and they both get big smiles on their faces. "Can we get ice cream after dinner and then watch a movie?"

I smile, looking at them in the review mirror. "That sounds great."

After dinner, we settle in with the ice cream and a few movies. Leah calls everyone, letting them know that she came in second. They're all very proud of her. Sadly, due to the size of the hall, each person could only get three tickets for their family. Leah is okay with this, but Bella is worried because tomorrow, Seth and his band are doing a charity concert and everyone bought tickets for it. Leah told Bella that she's happy we're all going, and that she understands.

**~HCV~**

Seth has been really excited to do this concert, and has been practicing nonstop. We bought him some new clothes to go with the dress code of the band. Quinn came and collected him an hour ago so they could practice before the concert. Bella, Leah, Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, Zafrina, Aro, Sulpicia, Jasper, Alice, and I are all sitting in our seats, waiting for them to come on stage. There are a total of five bands that are taking part in this evening's showcase. So far, three have come on and had their twenty minutes on stage.

"Thank you. That was the _Rejects_. I guess that goes to show us all that sometimes being a reject can be a good thing." Everyone chuckles at the MC's stab at humor. "Next up, we have a short solo performance. This is a last minute stand in. Tim Murray had some car trouble and can't make it, but don't worry... we have a young man who is in another band, who also plays classical music quite well, and he will be playing for us tonight. This pianist will be playing Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 'The Flight of the Bumble Bee,' and Yiruma's 'Moonlight.' This pianist is eight years old, and has only been playing for three years. He was self-taught until recently, when he started lessons. Please give a round of applause and help me welcome to the stage, Seth Swan!"

We are all shocked, having no idea that Seth would be doing this. I am pulled from my temporary stupor by the applause as Seth walks on stage. Bella looks at me, and I can see the worry in her eyes. None of us knew about this at all.

Seth sits at the piano and closes his eyes as he begins playing 'The Flight of the Bumblebee.' I see Bella's eyes widening, and my jaw hits the ground as Seth plays the complicated piece perfectly. We can both hear the beautiful music he is playing, but at this angle, I can also see his hands flying quickly over the keys. When the first song ends, the place is silent. The audience finally starts clapping, and I hear many people murmuring about his natural talent. Once the applause dies down, Seth begins playing 'Moonlight.' Again, he plays the entire thing perfectly. As his hands stroke the keys, you are able to feel the emotions of the song. When he plays the last note, there is complete silence again until Leah starts to clap, followed by a standing, crying Bella. Their actions seem to unfreeze everyone else, and the whole place erupts, giving Seth a standing ovation. Our group is cheering, and even the other bands have come out and are clapping. It takes a few extra minutes for the place to settle down as Seth bows and exits the stage.

"I think everyone here will agree... that young man will be going places. One day you all will remember that today was the day you first heard Seth Swan play." Once again, the crowd lets out tremendous applause. "On with the show! The next band up is _The Aristocrats_."

As the audience again claps for the new band coming on stage, I see Bella on the edge of her seat. I know she's excited for Seth – even more so now. Seth come's back out with his band, and they play their three songs. Seth plays both the piano and guitar, and during the three songs, we get to see him play the guitar twice. My son has his grandfather's natural talent for music, and I am the epitome of the beaming, proud father.

"I think this is his calling. He just seems so right up there," Bella says.

I turn to her and smile. "Yeah, he does. I'm so fu..." I stop myself and chuckle before letting the swear word fly. "I'm so proud of him." I kiss Bella's head and turn, watching the stage again. The final band comes on and plays their set, and once more, the crowd laughs at the MC's jokes and claps for the band.

We collect Seth and start heading to the car, but it takes forever because so many people come up to talk to him. I'm standing here talking to another parent when I see Mrs. Crown looking at us. Her face is full of surprise, and she keeps looking at Seth and then me. I can't stop the grin that comes on my face, and I raise my eyebrow at her. Her eyes meet mine, and they widen in surprise, knowing that I caught her watching us. A part of me – a very childish part, that is – makes me want to go up and laugh in her face. I manage to behave myself other than the smirk I give her, and walk with my family to our vehicle.

We all head for dinner, and Seth is beaming as we all praise him. Everyone works hard to include Leah, too. Telling her they're proud of how well she did at the spelling bee. Both he and Leah are asleep by the time Bella and I make it home. I carry them to their beds with Bella following behind me. I change Seth as Bella changes Leah, neither of them barely stirring. After we say our goodnights to Leah, we do the same to Seth. I smile as I watch her whisper to Seth that she is proud of him before kissing his head. I can't hold back the smile on my face. I've seen her do this a thousand times, but every time it touches my heart.

"Hey, baby, are you ready for bed? We need to get some rest because we have the Spring Ball tomorrow."

Bella looks at me and smiles. "Yes, I'm ready for bed." I kiss her on the head as we walk to our room. I call out a quiet goodnight to Emmett as we pass his room, and hear a muffled 'night' come from behind the door.

I sit on the chair in our room and take off my shoes. "Baby, do you have everything you need for tomorrow night?" I'm not too worried, as I know that the girls went with her to get a dress.

"Yes, I've got everything, and I can't wait for you to see my dress!" I look up to see her standing right in front of me. She puts her hands in my hair and kisses me, pushing me back a little.

She pulls away from me and leans back to look in to my eyes. She's straddling me, but she isn't resting her weight on me. She is at the perfect level where our eyes meet. I put my finger into the waist band of her slacks, pulling her down onto my lap. Leaning forward, I kiss her belly as I undo her button and zipper. When I see that she's wearing my favorite blue lace panties, my mind goes into overdrive.

"Take off your shirt, baby," I growl out.

She bites her lip and begins slowly unbuttoning her top. Her eyes stare into mine the entire time her hands make light work of the buttons. I sit back and watch her, mesmerized. God, my girl is fucking amazing. I watch as the shirt falls to the floor, and then lean back up. I reach out and trace my fingers over the delicate lace that is cupping her full breasts. Using my thumb, I circle her hardened nipples, and she tilts her head back and opens her mouth.

Her panting and moans excite me even more, and I reach behind her for the clasp of the bra. Once the bra falls off her shoulders, I toss it across the room. I pull her towards me as I sit us both back in the chair. With my fingers threading through her thick, mahogany hair, I tilt her head back. Trailing kisses and licks across her flesh makes her moan, but as soon as I suck one of her nipples in my mouth, her hips buck against me.

Bella pushes herself back into more of a sitting position, and I watch as she unbuttons my shirt. With each button, she leans forward and places her lips on the newly exposed skin. Her ass slides closer to my knees the further down she moves. Once she gets to the top of my pants, she moves herself to the floor. I keep watching her as she undoes the front of my pants, and I lift my bottom while she tugs them, along with my boxers, down.

I start to pull her up into my lap again, but she shakes her head at me. I'm completely speechless when she leans forward and places an open mouth kiss on the tip of my engorged cock. Overwhelming sensations spread through my abdomen as she tentatively pulls the head of my manhood into her mouth.

When her lust-filled, but shy, eyes meet mine, I can't help but encourage her. "Fuck, baby, that feels amazing!"

I see her responsive smile around my cock in her mouth, and hiss out as she takes more of me in. Soon, she's moving faster and moaning even more than I am. I can see her sexy ass moving back and forth, and I know that she's in need of some friction. "Baby, as much as I'm enjoying this, I want to feel you ride my cock. Come here so I can rub that sweet little clit of yours. Come give me that pussy."

As she stands, her slacks fall to the floor, pooling at her feet. I lean forward and trace her swollen clit that I can see through the lace of her panties. After several strokes, I help pull the sexy lace down her incredibly long legs. When I trace my fingers up the inside of her thighs, I hum in pleasure as I feel how wet she is.

"Are you all wet for me, baby?"

"Yes, Edward, and I want your cock in me now," she says, pushing me back and hovering over me.

I feel and hear the growl that her words cause to rip from my body. I tug her tighter to me and kiss her deeply. Using my right hand, I run the tip of my cock through her wet folds and stop with the tip barely inside her. "Is this where you want me, baby?"

She shakes her head and sinks herself down on me in one fell swoop. "This is where I want you," she moans out. She sets a fast pace, and my hands move from guiding her hips to caressing her breasts and back again. When she starts moving more erratically, I move my left thumb to her clit and rub fast circles while my right hand guides her thrusts. As she falls over the edge, I cup her ass in my hands and stand up without breaking our connection.

Moving to the bed, I place her on it and hook her legs over my arms. Resting on my knees between her legs, I look down and watch as my cock moves in and out of her hot, wet core. Soon she's calling out for me to move faster and deeper. I love listening to my sweet, innocent girl beg for more of my cock, and I'm always willing to give it to her. It isn't long before we both fall over the edge together, and I roll us to the side as we lie tangled in each other.

I stroke Bella's back and nuzzle her neck. "That was hot, baby."

I feel her blush before I see it. Looking up, she lets out a small giggle.

"What's wrong, baby?" I ask, noticing that she's redder than I've ever seen her. I raise my eyebrows at her when she bites her lip. "Tell me, baby. What it is?"

She shakes her head and shyly tries to move her face down, but I stop her from hiding. "I just can't believe what I used to think a blow job was. It makes so much more sense now that I've done it. No wonder you laughed at me when I asked you if it had to do with bows and things like that. You must've thought I was so stupid." She grins at me through her embarrassment, and I feel myself smile as I remember that particular conversation.

"Baby, I never thought that you were stupid. The fact that you don't know about some of this stuff makes me want you even more. I'm proud to be the person that teaches and shows you all of this. I love the fact that you had, and still have, such an air of innocence about you; even when you're telling me what it is that you want me to do to you. You are one sexy, kinky, beautiful, innocent girl, who I am completely in love with."

I feel another giggle bubble up through her chest. "I am completely in love with you, too... even if you are a sexy, handsome, sex addict. I can't believe you're ready to go again," she says, tracing her fingers along my hardness.

I chuckle at her as I roll back on top of her. "But I'm your sex addict, and I need my fill."

"I'm so glad you're my sex addict, but aren't you supposed to fill me?" she asks as she grinds her hips up into me.

"Oh, no worries, baby. I'm going to fill you so full," I growl out. I kiss her one last time before pushing into her wet, hot tightness.

**~HCV~**

I'm in my tuxedo again, ready for the Spring Ball. Unlike the last time I attended a ball, I'm actually looking forward to going this time. The twins are with Zafrina at Aro and Sulpicia's house, along with Sammy and two of his cousins. I know they'll be well looked after and have a good time.

"I'm sorry if I fall, but these heels are a bit higher than I've ever worn before." I look up to see Bella coming down the stars and all the air rushes from my body. Not only is she outstandingly beautiful, but she looks so fucking sexy that I have a full blown hard on instantly.

Bella's dress is fire engine red and has a 'v' neck. The plunge of the neckline comes down to just below her full breasts, and I can see that she isn't wearing a bra. As she continues her decent, I notice that the dress has a slit up one leg along the side. She smiles as she walks up to me, and I can see that the dress has small, lacy parts that get larger when she turns around. The back of the dress is mostly made of lace, but it isn't clear enough for anyone to see her marks. Her hair is up in a twist, and she has a few strands that are curled and cascading down to frame her face. She's only wearing a light amount of makeup, but it definitely enhances her natural beauty. When she turns completely around and is facing me, I grab her and pull her to me. Without saying a word, I kiss her hard.

"Wow! Sexy mama in the house. Damn, Little Bit, you look beautiful." I pull away, seeing Emmett standing there.

"Thank you, Emmett. You look very handsome tonight."

He smiles at her and wiggles his brow. "Of course I do." We both chuckle just as we hear the car pull up outside and honk. "Come on you two, we've got a party to go to!"

I sigh and kiss Bella again. "You look so absolutely, positively, unbelievably sexy. I'm sorry, but I may have trouble acting appropriately all night."

Bella blushes as she looks at me. "Thank you. You look sexy and handsome, too. I'm sorry about... you know..." She bites her lip and looks down at my hard cock that is currently trying to escape the confines of my pants.

I chuckle and growl-whisper in her ear. "You won't be sorry tonight." I wiggle my eyebrows at her suggestively, and she laughs as I help her into her jacket.

The atmosphere on the ride over is light, and everyone is chatting with each other. Most of us are trying to help keep Emmett's mind off the fact that this is the first ball he will attend without Rose. We found out that Rosalie will be there with Royce tonight, but that isn't enough to keep Emmett from attending.

When we arrive, Mr. Moon – who is in charge of the ball – tells us that there is a reporter who would like to interview a few of us. Victoria Simpson from The Seattle Times is doing a story on the ball and the charity work that goes on during it. Since we're always in need of more donations, we're frequently asked to do things like this. Mr. Moon has asked Carlisle if he would speak with her on behalf of the hospital. The funds raised tonight will go to help Seattle General Hospital, which is hoping to break ground on the new pediatric cancer ward.

As we enter the ballroom, I'm hoping that the gossip and back-stabbing talk will stay at a minimum. The last thing I want is for Emmett to be hurt more than he already is. All of us have spent ample amounts of time helping Emmett get over the fact that the court papers for his divorce have been filed.

We make our way to our table, and the room seems to quiet down. I notice that several different people start to whisper and are looking right at Bella and me. I sigh, feeling angry that we are such big news. The fact that I brought someone with me seems to have overtaken the Emmett and Rose split-up in the gossiping tonight. I guess that's one good thing, though. Emmett doesn't deserve to be put down. I just worry about my baby. These rich, harpy assholes don't bother me with what they think or say.

I pull Bella's chair out for her and help her sit. I lean in to her, kissing the side of her head. "I'm so sorry about the gossiping old hags." Bella frowns at me and I roll my eyes. "Well, that's better than the 'W' word, which I'm trying hard not to use anymore."

She shakes her head and gives me a small smile. "I love you. Just let them be, okay? Let them talk about us. They mean nothing to me, and nothing they say will change the way I feel about you. Besides, I love talking about how wonderful and great you are."

I smile at her. "I am pretty wonderful, aren't I?"

Bella nods her head and I kiss her lips. "Plus, if they're talking about us then they aren't talking about Emmett, and I'll gladly take that over him getting hurt by their words."

I smile at her. Knowing that she's happy to take all the gossip just to keep Emmett safe, shows me once again just how selfless she is. "I fucking love you so much. You are a sweet, amazing, beautiful, sexy woman." I kiss her before giving the waitress our drink order.

We all enjoy our meal and chat about different things; everything is really relaxing and calm. In fact, it's calmer than any of the other balls that we've attended in the past. Emmett had a little issue when he first saw Rose and Royce together, but Bella talked to him, telling him more of Seth jokes. She has an amazing talent of being able to calm any of us down with her easygoing nature.

After dinner, Bella and I start dancing, and continue for most of the night. Several of the women in the room seem to be glaring at her, like they are drilling holes in her skull, but Bella doesn't seem to notice. I really need a break; the looks they are giving us are about to piss me off.

"Come on, baby. Let me get us drinks from the bar." We walk over, and I order an orange juice for her and a Scotch for myself.

"I'm having a great time. I'm really glad you asked me to come."

I smile and give her a heated look. "Oh, I'll be asking you to come again and again tonight."

Bella's eyes sparkle and she smiles at me coyly. "That gives me something to look forward to, but you'll have to wait until we get home."

I chuckle at her. "Hmm, baby, I woul..." I am cut off by a voice I did not want to hear.

"Hello, Edward." I look to the side of us and see Royce looking at Bella. No, scratch that. He's eye fucking her.

"Hello, Royce." Bella shifts her body more toward me because he keeps his eyes firmly on her breasts.

"And who is the lovely lady? I don't think I've ever seen her before." I grip my house keys tightly in my pocket, ready to stab him his fucking eyes out if he doesn't stop leering at Bella. She folds her arm over the top of her breasts, clearly uncomfortable with his fucking staring.

I hear a throat clear. "Well, Edward?" Royce's voice is louder, and the people around us stop talking to look at as. "What's her name?" Royce moves his eyes to mine finally.

"Her name is not your concern, Royce. Why don't you go back to your table and keep your eyes off her?"

Royce chuckles again, as if I'm joking. "Well, if she didn't want to be eye-fucked she wouldn't have worn a dress like that," he says as his eyes move back to Bella.

"She only wore that dress for me to enjoy, not you, so stop looking at what belongs to me!" I snarl, standing at my full height as I get in his face. His eyes finally move again, and he looks right back at me.

"Royce, back away right now or I'm gonna hit you," Emmett snarls.

"Like you'd ever hit me, you piece of shit," Royce comes back.

"You're right. I won't hit you because you're nothing but shit, and it splatters."

Bella lets out a snigger, and Royce looks at her and then back to Emmett. I look and see Carlisle, Ben, and Jasper have made their way over, too.

"Well, I'll just get back to my date. You know... my beautiful Rosie. I know she isn't a tease like some women," he says, moving his gaze to Bella again. "Even if she does tease me tonight, it's all good. I already got in her panties today anyway." He takes what I assume are Rose's panties out of his pocket and twirls them around his finger before chuckling and walking away.

"I swear I'm going to kill that fucker." I look back at Emmett, who's still glaring in Royce's direction.

I can see that he's clearly upset and really fucking angry. "I'll help you get rid of the body. Hell, I'm sure Aro knows a few good places to hide it," Bella says as she hugs Emmett.

He smiles down at her, and I can see him visibly relax a little. "Hell yeah, I bet he does, Little Bit. Are you alright?" She smiles up at him, nodding her head.

"Carlisle, my friend, the reporter is ready for you." We all turn to see Mr. Moon standing there.

"I'll head over there now."

Mr. Moon turns to me. "Edward, my boy, I told her about your extra generous donation, and she would like you to say a few words, too."

I look at him and then over at Bella. "Not tonight. I don't want to leave Bella's side."

Mr. Moon looks at Bella and smiles. "I can see why, but please, Edward? This could be a good thing for both of us."

I sigh heavily and then feel Bella touch my arm. "Edward, what is he talking about?"

"I donated all the July profits from Midnight Sun to the charity to help the hospital."

Bella steps forward and looks at me with a smile. "Then go tell her about it." She gives me her doe-eyed look, and I know instantly that I'm about to lose this battle.

"Baby, I don't want to leave you alone."

Emmett slaps my back. "What am I? I'll keep her company until you come back. She can be my date for a few minutes."

Bella turns and smiles at Emmett. "I'd like that."

When she turns back to me, she lightly kisses my cheek. "Well, get going and make the children more money."

I pull her in to my arms and kiss her deeply. "I love you so much."

She smiles and kisses me again. "I love you, too. Now hurry back."

I chuckle as Carlisle pulls me along with him toward the door. "I want her back when I return, Emmett!" I hear him chuckle as we leave the ballroom.

"You really gave them something to talk about tonight," Carlisle says. I look at him questioningly as we make our way to the other end of the building. "You've never brought a girl to any of the other charity gatherings you've been to before. Not to mention you've never danced with any girl outside the family. Hell, you barely talked to anyone outside the family aside from the person whom we shall not mention. Even with her, when she attended with her father, you never really touched her at the dance. You both attended, but barely even acted like friends. With Bella, you might have just as well whipped it out and pissed on her in the middle of the dance floor." My look changes from questioning to surprised. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Edward. You were all over her on the dance floor. You were making it extremely clear that you are here with her. I can't even tell you how many people asked me who she was and how long you've known her."

I frown and then grab Carlisle by the arm, stopping us both. "They didn't say anything bad about her, did they?"

I let out a shaky breath when Carlisle shakes his head. "Edward, every single person who stopped me commented how much in love you both looked."

I smile at him and then look back down the hallway; all I want is to have her back in my arms.

"Come on, son. Let's get this done so we can get back to your girl." I smile at him and open the door.

"Miss Simpson?" Carlisle calls out as we walk in. We don't see anyone in the office, but we hear the door close behind us and lock. Both Carlisle and I turn around at the same time, seeing the one face I have been both wanting and not wanting to ever see again.

"Well, hello boys... Did you miss me, sweetie?" There standing at the door is Tanya. "Well, you have grown into such a hot man. I could just eat you up. But first we need to sort out the fact that you've been a bad boy."

I snap out of my shocked, frozen state. "What the fuck are you doing here, Tanya?"

Carlisle grabs my arm as I start to move forward, and holds me beside him. "Careful, son."

We both look to Tanya who is now laughing. "Come on, Eddie. We both know that's not my name!"

I glare at her. "Yes, we know that, Sue."

She shakes her head again. "Nope. My name is Vicky Simpson. See?" she says, throwing her reporter's badge at me.

"Is this another person that Harry killed, or did you do this one yourself?"

She rolls her eyes at me. "He did the world a favor by killing that stupid redheaded bitch."

I look at Carlisle, who looks back at me as he begins to speak to her. "Well, that sure is really nice Tanya – Sue – Vicky – whoever you are, but we've got to go."

She turns to him and gives him a big smile. "You know, Carlisle, you get sexier with every year you age. I always wanted to get you into bed. Looks like we only have an office here, but you know... I never had two guys at once. With you two, I would really love it."

"Not in any fucking lifetime will I touch you again. Fuck knows how many showers I'm going to have to take just because I was in the same room as you! Now, if you don't mind, we've got other things to do." Carlisle and I step forward. I'm beginning to feel edgy with her being this close to Bella.

"You're right, Carlisle. So, Edward... what the fuck do you think you're doing hitting it up with Indira? You fucked me out of over one and a half million dollars!"

I give her a questioning look, wondering who she's talking about. "Are you suddenly stupid? You know... that little, ugly bitch; the one that had Larne and Sage?" She keeps going on when she sees our confused faces. "You know, Indira – the cunt. Renee's bastard child. She was supposed to be looking after your kids, Larne and Sage."

Fucking bitch doesn't even know their names! "Her name is B... Isabella; and my children's names are Seth and Leah."

She rolls her eyes at me. "Jesus fucking Christ! It's just a name. It was a Tuesday to me, but that's all I know. As soon as I knew they belonged to you, I didn't give a fuck what anyone called them. As for that little bitch... well her name is not even worth knowing. And besides, she's merely a pet that's been sold. Now I'm waiting for my money. You owe me!"

I look at her, and then at Carlisle. "What fucking money are you waiting on?"

She growls at me. "For her... Isabeth. You took what belonged to me. You've got your bastard kids with you now, and as I recall, we had a deal going on with..." She closes her eyes for a second. "Fuck, the boy... whatever. Not to mention you got someone to hurt Harry and he's in prison now."

I look at her feeling completely disgusted. She's not even worth my time. I walk toward the door, and Carlisle follows me, but Tanya – Sue – Vicky – Psycho Bitch is standing in front of it and has her arms crossed as if she's not going to move.

"Get out of the way, Sue." Carlisle's voice is hard, and he looks ready to kill.

Sue shakes her head. "You better listen and listen good. I want three million dollars. You have six days to get it to me." I go to tell her to fuck herself, but she holds up her hand. "If you don't, I'll tell everyone I caught you and my ten year old stepdaughter in bed together."

I look at her like she's fucking crazy, because clearly she is. "Please, Mr. Judge! I was so scared. He seemed so nice. He was looking to make some extra money, and he mowed our lawn sometimes. I thought he was a nice guy, and we needed a baby sister..." Sue imitates a child's voice when she talks. "Is... Isabelle seemed to really like him. We thought he was okay." She starts to wail and get teary. "One night, I came back early, but he wasn't downstairs. When I went upstairs to look for him, I found him in bed with her." Sue begins to outright sob, and all I can do is stand there with my mouth hanging open.

"I pulled him off her, but I was too late; he'd already penetrated her. He hit me and then he said it was me or my baby girl. I said me, and he took me right in front of her. I was so ashamed. We didn't have much money, and he came from so much. We thought that we should move away, but I found out I was pregnant. My husband went out looking for a job, but he died during a bank robbery. When they told me, I was shocked and went into premature labor. I gave birth to a boy and a girl, but they didn't belong to my husband. They were Edward's. When he found us, he took them from me, and I didn't know where they were. He had some friends take me to a place I wasn't familiar with, and they shoved me into a room with a bunch of men. They brutalized me; they all took turns with me. And that became my life. Men would come and take me, and beat me when I tried to fight them off. It took five years for me to get away, and I've spent the last year getting better and looking for them. Please... please give me back my babies."

I look at her, feeling absolutely sick. I know none of that happened, but fuck, she's a really good actress! She smiles at me, wiping her crocodile tears away. "See? The best part is that it doesn't matter if you get found guilty or not... Even if the judge believes you, a little lie goes a long way. The story will stick with you FOREVER. People will always wonder, always think... did he do that? You'll lose your job. Your restaurant will go under because people will stop coming. It's a long, sad road. So get my fucking money! Oh, and I want to speak to that little fucking whore, too."

I move toward her, having heard enough. "YOU. WILL. NOT..." I'm cut off by someone's screams, and we hear a lot of different loud voices in the hallway.

"Fucking stupid prick couldn't fucking wait!" I look back at Sue before grabbing hold of her and throwing her out of the way of the door.

As I run down the hallway, I see Esme coming out of the bathroom with a few people around her. "He just took Bella!" Esme screams, pointing to the door. Without a moment's hesitation, I'm running toward it.

I push my way through people until I get outside. I look around, but don't see Bella anywhere. I do notice Emmett and Jasper in front of me, though, so I run toward them. "Where is she?" They shake their heads, and we all look around, trying to see which way they went.

We hear the sound of glass breaking followed by a scream, and we all take off in the direction it came from. As we get near it, a car zooms past us and squeals around the corner. I take off after it, knowing there's no way I can outrun a car, but I won't let him take her. I stop when I hear a loud bang, and look up the street to see that the car has smashed into another one. I run as fast as I can to reach it. Looking inside, I see nothing in the car.

"Bella! Baby where are you?" I scream out.

Pulling my hair frantically, I notice a police car in my way. I'm spinning in circles when I feel something hit my arm. I look down, seeing a set of car keys on the ground by my feet. I look toward where they were thrown from, and see Felix. He mouths, 'she's in the trunk'. I can also just make out Garrett holding Paul securely. I grab the keys from the ground and move to the trunk just as someone begins banging on it. I open it quickly and see Bella tied up inside. I grab her and pick her up, holding her to me as she sobs against my chest.

"I'm here, baby. I've got you now."

"Sir, put the girl down and put your hands on your head." I glance around and notice that we're surrounded by the police, who all have their guns pointed at us.

"Baby, I need to let you go for a minute, okay? I need to sort this out."

Bella begins shaking her head; actually, it's more like thrashing. "No! No, please no. Please, I need to stay with you!"

I sigh. "Please, I can't let her go! She's too scared."

They all look at me. "Sir, I said put the girl down and step away slowly with your hands on you head."

I sigh again. "Baby, I'm sorry. This is killing me, but I need to stay alive for you. I'm afraid they may shoot me if I don't set you down." She begins sobbing more as I place her on the ground. "Baby, I love you. It'll be okay, I promise." Bella grabs hold of me, clinging tightly to my legs.

"Everyone stand down, now! What the hell are you playing at? The girl is clearly hurt and is not afraid of him."

I look over to see who's yelling and I notice Matt has joined the other officers. Thank God! I pick Bella up bridal style and head over to him.

"Take her to get looked at."

I nod my head and I mouth to him so that Bella can't hear. 'Sue is at the resort'.

Matt nods in acknowledgement and mouths 'I know' back to me. "I'm going to get these fuckers busy looking for..." he looks at his note pad, "Paul. I'll come talk to Bella after she's been looked over." I nod my head at him as he looks behind me and sees that all the officers are just standing there. "I swear they have the stupidest fucking crew on duty when we have a full moon, and that's when all the crazy people come out!" I watch as Matt walks away from us and starts to bark orders at them.

I have to carry Bella back to the hotel because she freaks out about getting back into a car. I'm surprised to discover that I ran almost a mile to get to her. I kiss her head the whole way back and whisper my love to her at the same time. When the building comes into view, I see Emmett and Jasper standing outside. The second they notice us, they come running.

"Is she alright? It was some guy dressed as a member of the wait staff."

I nod my head at him. "I want Carlisle to check her over. Let me get her to him first." They walk with me back into the building, acting almost like bodyguards.

"Carlisle!" I call out to him as we walk in. He runs up to us, followed by Esme and Alice. As I look at Esme, I see that she has a cut on her head and her eye looks a little swollen.

"Bring her in here. I've been given an office for us to use."

I walk in with him and set her down on the sofa. "Baby, Carlisle just needs to look you over. I'll be right by the door, okay? I'm just going to fill Jasper and Emmett in on what happened." Bella looks up at me nods her head.

"Bella, I'll sit with you, sweetie. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him." I watch as Esme sits next to her and hugs her tightly. I kiss Bella and then Esme's head before walking over to the others.

"What happened? What happened to Esme face?" I ask, looking at them.

Alice huffs and puts her hand on her hip. "Stupid Siobhan threw her drink all over Bella, and then had the audacity to say that she tripped. I'll show her a trip! Esme took Bella to the restroom to get cleaned up. After shouting at Siobhan, I headed to find them. When I got there, some guy pushed past me, dragging a screaming Bella. Some of the staff tried to get him to let her go, but they backed off when he put a knife to her throat. I shouted for Emmett and Jasper, and they went after Bella. I left to find Esme, who was on the floor in the restroom. I guess he hit her when she tried to stop him from taking Bella. Then you turned up, and well... that's all I know." I look at Alice nod my head.

"When we got to the office, we discovered that it was Sue, not a reporter named Victoria. Sue sold Bella to Paul. She's not very happy that Bella and the kids are with me. She wants three million dollars. She said if I don't pay, then she'll claim that I've been sleeping with Bella since she was ten. And she insisted on speaking with Bella, too. I was about to tell her to go fuck herself, and that she wasn't going anywhere near her, when I heard a commotion. All the shouting drew me out of the room after I shoved Sue out of the way. When I found out he had Bella, I followed the car for about mile. Felix must have crashed into it. That fucker had put her in the trunk of the car! She was shaken up, but I don't think she's badly hurt. She wouldn't get in a car again, so I carried her back here. The only good thing is that Felix got Paul, so I'll call Aro after I know she's alright. And then, of course, I'll need to make him aware that Sue's back in town, not to mention tell Bella."

They all look at me and Alice wipes away her tears. "Edward, I'm sorry about Siobhan. I really don't know why I ever thought she was perfect for you."

I nod my head, knowing that Alice has a lot of guilt inside right now, and blaming her for her past transgressions will not help.

"Alice, it's not your fault. I'm just glad he didn't get away with her."

I sit with Bella as she explains what happened. It's not really much different from what Alice said. Matt is unable to find Sue, and when we look at the tapes, there's no sign of her leaving the office, yet she's not in there.

Esme only has a small cut, but will definitely have a black eye. Bella is beat up again. She has bruises on her wrists where Paul had tied them together, and a small cut on her neck and lower leg from when she kicked the window of the car when he tried to get her in. She also has bruises on her hands. It seems Bella hit Paul a few times, too. She's a lot calmer now, and is able to get in the car with our family. I decide to wait until we get home before I tell her that Sue is back. Esme and Alice help her change as Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle follow me to my office to call Aro.

"Hello, Aro. I've got you on speaker phone." My voice is low as I struggle to keep myself together.

"First things first – how is Bella? I was told that Esme was hurt, too. Is this true?"

I rub my face. "Yes. Esme has a small cut and a black eye, but she's a trooper. Bella... well she seems to be holding it together. She has some bruises and a cut on her neck and lower leg, and she's pretty shaken up. I still have to tell her about Sue being back."

I hear Aro growl. "I'm glad Esme's not hurt, and pleased to know that Bella is okay, too. Be sure to tell Bella I'm so proud of her, and that she did good. Felix said she got in a few good hits on Paul." I smile hearing that. I'm so proud of her, too; just as proud as Aro is. Having so many close friends has helped her stand up for herself so much better.

"Jane is having some fun with Paul. Funny thing is that he was ready to give everything up before we even entered the room. Too bad for him he really pissed off the wrong guy. Jane was all set to deal with him, so I thought that I would allow her to have some fun." I look at the others, watching them all chuckle a little at the thought of Jane's kind of fun.

"I sorted through the papers that Mr. Black had. I believe they are the ones Harry was looking for in Bella's apartment. To say that Harry has made more enemies is an understatement. I'm putting extra guards in place for the twins and Bella until that worthless piece of shit, Sue, is caught. And by the way the music teacher at the school sadly had to take a leave of absence, so the school will be introducing the new teacher tomorrow. I also have some tracking devices for the kids, so we'll always know where they are." Everyone nods their heads at this information. I look around and see the love everyone has for my girl.

"Aro, how are Seth and Leah?"

I hear him chuckle. "They're great; all tucked in to bed. I have a few extra guards at my home, so no one could get in there even if they tried."

I smile. "Tell them Bella and I love them and we'll see them soon," I say, standing up.

"Will do. See you tomorrow, Edward."

I hang up the phone and look at the other three men in my office. "So how do I tell Bella about Sue being back?"

They all sigh, and three of us look to Jasper. "Just tell her the truth. Tell her that it was her in the room and what she said to you. And tell her we'll all keep her, you, Seth, and Leah safe."

I nod my head at them as we all move to head back to the living room. From the doorway, I can see Bella, Esme, and Alice hugging together.

"Hey, baby," I say. When she looks up and sees me, she pulls me in to a hug.

"I love you. I was so scared, Edward."

I rub her back and pull her from the others and into my arms alone. "I know, baby. I was, too. I need to tell you something, though, but you don't need to be scared, okay? I'll keep you, Seth, and Leah safe, I promise."

Bella looks at me and then at everyone else. "She's back, isn't she?"

I look at her and nod my head. "Yes. She was the reporter at the ball."

Bella wipes away her tears. "Did she hurt you?"

I shake my head at her. "No, baby, I'm only hurt because you are. She did say something else I need to tell you." When Bella nods her head, I continue, telling her everything. By the time I'm done, Bella is even more upset, and Esme is ready to kill.

"But they won't believe her right? They'll know she's lying, won't they?" I nod my head at her.

"I told Matt everything that she said. The District Attorney's office knows, too. They said they know how manipulative she is and that she can't fool them. They also have copies of your medical records from Carlisle's office, showing his exam of you back in September. Plus, with the amount of charges pending against her, they would disregard her babble anyway. And, Aro has a female guard going in as a teacher at the kid's school, so they'll be safe there too." Bella nods her head.

"I pray that Aro gets her soon. She will not break up our family. I won't let her. We are the Masen family."

I smile at her and give her a kiss. "The Masen family," I repeat her words and hear everyone else in the room do the same.

I look around and see my friends and part of my family. I know that we will get through this together. Everything that's happened has brought us closer than ever before. We truly are a family.

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><p><strong>AN: Now you didn't think we would let that yuck-ball get away with her did you? Sue is sneaky isn't she? Even though I had said we had seen the end of Siobhan, but we couldn't resist her throwing a drink on Bella. Since Aro's guys have Paul, I wonder who Sue will use now to get close to the Masen family?  
>The next chapter has a big surprise for everyone in it. I refuse to ruin the surprise but I will say that Nikky and I did not plan to do this until the very end of the story, but Jess2002 said... You have to do this now, it will be perfect. Well Nikky and I both think the world of Jess2002, so in the next chapter you are getting an additional almost 3000 word count because we had to work in Jess2002's idea. So far all the pre-readers and Beta's love it. And you'll get to read it next week.<br>Don't forget to check out Fictionators for the teasers we post there next Monday, and it is a different teaser than we give to reviewers. We are excited to read your thoughts, so type them out below and push that review button.  
>Kasi (&amp; Nikky)<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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**~HCV~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29: New Home, New School, New Start<strong>

Everyone ended up spending the night here last night; I wake up in the early morning hours due to Bella having yet another nightmare while I hold her closely in my arms as she whimpers. It almost breaks me when I hear her promise to be good and how she was sorry for what she did. Tears run down my cheeks as she begs to still be able to see Seth and Leah. I pull her toward me, holding her tight and telling her that she's safe and how good she really is. Before long, I end up waking her up, unable to listen to her hurting anymore.

She breaks down and cries on me, and again, all I can do is hold her close. When she settles down and her breathing starts to regulate, I know she's drifted off to sleep again. As I hold her, all I can do is think about everything going on. Deciding that I'll never get back sleep, I pick up the journal Bella handed me before bed. She told me I could read it, but so far I haven't. Since I can't sleep, I figure now is as good a time as any.

I begin to read, and so far it's a hodgepodge of everything: how she feels, her nightmares, and what happened to her as a child. The entries are very detailed, and all about what Charlie, Sue, and Harry did to her. Reading them makes me feel sick, and I hate all three of those fuckers even more. The things they did to her were so far beyond cruelty. They were more along the lines of torture. Reading each entry passes the time, and before I know it, the dark night has lightened in to the first rays of the day.

Bella stirs as she begins to wake up. She smiles at me and I kiss her lightly on her lips.

"Are you ready to get up baby?"

"Yeah, we should get up," she agrees. "I think I'd like to go work out in the gym; what do you think?"

"Baby, we have guests to make breakfast for." I know exercise is her way of getting aggression out, but her hand and leg is still bruised. I just don't want her to hurt herself.

"Oh, yeah; okay, we'll go make breakfast."

"Well, we should get a move on then," I say, getting up and pulling her with me.

We both brush our teeth and change in to clean clothes, and then I hug her and kiss her deeply before we leave our room. I still get that warm feeling in the pit of my stomach each time I think about it being our room.

Bella and I make pancakes for everyone, and it isn't long before they all join us downstairs. As we eat, we discuss what to do about Sue. During the talk, Bella becomes rather withdrawn and quiet. I'm not the only one who notices it either. I also notice that Bella keeps glancing between her watch and the clock on the wall. Suddenly it dawns on me: she wants to be with Seth and Leah. Once I've figured it out, I tell everyone that I think it's best if we go and include Aro in the decision making.

As we drive to Aro's house, Bella remains quiet. "Baby, what's going on in that beautiful head of yours? You can talk to me you know. Please let me help you – let me in." I glance at her, seeing a tear run down her face. I grab her hand and bring it to my lips, placing soft kisses on it.

"I just keep thinking about Seth and Leah. I don't want my mo..." Bella stops for a second and shakes her head. "I don't want to call her mom – it doesn't feel right – but I don't want to be bad either, so I can't call her Sue because that would be rude. I don't know what to call her." I go to speak, but Bella carries on. "I don't want her near Seth and Leah. I'm so scared that she'll hurt them." Bella snorts sarcastically, and shakes her head. "I know she'll hurt them. I know her; she'll do to them what she did to me. I don't want that to happen, but what if they hate me for keeping them away from her? What happens if she finds them again a year from now, and tells them all sorts of lies. What if she says that I kept her away? If she does, then they'll hate me, and I really don't want that. I'm so scared that I'll lose them... that I'll lose all of you because of her. I'm terrified, and the thought of losing my family... well it hurts so much."

I pull my car over and unbuckle Bella. Pulling her over to me, I cradle her to my chest.

"You don't have to call her mom baby. She was never a mother figure. Call her whatever you want —whatever makes YOU comfortable. And she will NOT get Seth and Leah; I won't allow that to ever happen. They may be young baby, but they see and understand so much; they SEE YOU: your heart, your soul, and most of all your love. We'll make another appointment with Samantha and talk to her about it. We need to be open and honest about Sue showing up and her behavior."

Bella shakes her head. "But they'll be so hurt that she doesn't love them. I can't let them think that their own mom doesn't love them. I don't think she does... I mean WHY? Why can't she love them?" Bella begins sobbing in my arms, and I hold her and rub her back as she cries, knowing she needs to let it all out.

"You love them and show them every day. They will always know what a mother's love is like. You give to them the same love a mother gives her own child; they have never missed out on that, and they never will. I'm not really sure how they'll take it, but we'll talk to Samantha about the best way to approach the subject. I really believe that if we explain that you and I love them unconditionally, and always will, then her lack of love and care will mean nothing. Like you, I hope this won't make them sad, but if it does, we'll continue to love them regardless." Using my thumb, I brush away the tears streaking down her face while she nods her head in agreement.

We sit here in my car for about twenty minutes before she moves back to her seat. "Okay, I'm ready now. Can we go see them? I miss them so much."

"Yes baby; let's go see our children." I shock myself by saying 'our,' but refuse to correct myself because it's the truth: Seth and Leah are our children.

We arrive at Aro's a little earlier than planned, and Bella gives Felix a small smile as we pass him at the gate. We hold hands as we make our way towards his front door.

"Isabella, Edward, come in." I smile at Aro as he ushers us inside. "How are you my dear?" Aro asks, hugging Bella. Without any hesitation, she returns the hug.

"I think I'm alright," she says, giving Aro a shy smile. Aro nods his head at her and walks us into the main living room.

"Isabella, Edward, this is Lucy Carson. She's the new music teacher at the twin's school."

I look over and see a woman who appears to be in her late twenties. She seems to be in good physical condition, and stands about five and a half feet tall. "Nice to meet you both," she says. She pleasantly shakes Bella's and then my hand, and gives Bella a warm smile which Bella returns.

"Nice to meet you too," we reply together.

"This is for you Bella," Aro says as he holds out a bracelet with three charms on it. I watch as he puts it on her delicate wrist. Once it's secure, he holds up one of the charms. "I want you to always wear this, at least until further notice. This charm right here," he says, pointing out the one in his hand, "is for if someone grabs you. Bust it off the bracelet as soon as you can, and it will trigger an alarm. There's a GPS tracking chip inside this charm." He points to the bigger charm in the center. "It will allow us to find you no matter where you are."

Bella nods her head at him.

"Thank you. How are Seth and Leah?" Aro chuckles, watching her as she looks around for them.

"They're in the family room playing video games. Do you remember how to get there?"

Bella smiles and nods her head at him before walking away.

As soon as she's out of sight, Aro turns back to me and motions with his head for me to follow him before walking in the opposite direction. We get to what I assume is Aro's office and I notice a picture of him and Sulpicia. I'm still surprised about Aro being married. As I look at the picture, I see that it's one from his wedding day; and when I look a little closer, I see Bella, Seth, and Leah are in it as well. I walk over to the picture and pick it up to examine it better. As I look at them, it reminds me of when I first met them. Bella looks so much happier and healthier now than she did back then; she's now just under the average weight for her height. Seth and Leah look happier too. And while I'm extremely happy now that they're with me and healthy, it also makes me angry knowing just how much I missed. I also hate the fact that Bella has always been mistreated by her so called family. When I put the photo down, I notice that Aro is staring at me.

"That was the second best day of my life."

I look at him and frown because I don't understand. If I married Bella tomorrow, it would be the happiest day of my life.

"Oh Edward, don't get me wrong; I love my wife very much, but I also love Bella, Seth, and Leah. I still remember the first time I saw Bella." He smiles as he looks away from me, almost as if he's reliving that memory. "I know that I often say she's like a sister to me, but in truth, I think of her as much more than that. I never really thought about having children, or even wanted them for that matter. I've lived most of my life with a Peter Pan Syndrome – happy enough with my inner child that I saw no need to have one of my own… at least until I met Bella; she brought out a different side of me. It was clear that her parents abused her, and when anyone said the word dad around her, she'd always looked hurt and scared. I didn't want to lose her, so I would say she was like a sister to me."

I smile at him, completely understanding what he meant. I too, have said things to her that were lighter than I really felt in order to not scare her away.

"The day the three of them entered my life was the best day of my existence. Bella changed me a little at a time. She's also the reason I met my wife. I would do anything for her not to have seen what she did, or for my wife not to have gone through it, but it's what brought her into my life. Sulpicia and I started dating after I helped her get into therapy. I fell for her hard, and yet was worried that she'd be afraid of me. After a while, once she was better and wanted to start working for me, I finally gave in to my feelings. I couldn't handle anyone else being with her."

I grin at him in understanding, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"What can I say? I'm possessive and extremely jealous. I was so glad when she agreed to do my books for the club and help with the new girls. Our wedding was on the 1st of July; it was small, but I still wanted Bella and the kids there. They're as much a part of my family as my mother and brothers are. Bella means the world to me, and I think of her as my daughter. With that said, you need to know that you've changed her, and not just physically; everything about her is different. The good thing is that her innocent mind and ability to care for others, has kept her from suffering more than she has to. She's stronger now too, and you're the reason for that, so thank you," Aro says before he turns around and switches on a TV. He's clearly done with our little heart-to-heart. When I look at the monitor, I see Paul sitting on a chair, pretty badly beaten.

"What has that worthless waste of shit confessed?" I hear the harshness in my voice, and am thankful Aro doesn't take offense to my tone.

"He spilled his guts before he even entered the room. But as I said, Jane was all set to go and was extremely pissed off about him hurting Isabella. Jane doesn't love easily. Hell, there aren't many people she even likes. In fact, I don't think she likes me all that much, but she does care a great deal for Isabella. I decided to let her have her fun, despite his loose lips. He knows very little about Sue unfortunately. Unlike Harry, she seems to keep her cards close to her. That's why I want Lucy in the school. She is very good at her job; one of the best." I nod my head in acknowledgement.

"Felix and Garrett are both going to be anywhere you are, and after Jane has finished with Paul, she and Alec will be Bella's new shadows. The twins will have Demetri and Santiago with them, and all six of them will take turns standing guard outside your home at night. I will not take any chances where my family is concerned. I just pray that I'm lucky enough to get to Sue before the police do." I nod my head at him, grateful for everything he has done for us.

"It troubles me that she was able to not only to get in to, but out of the ball undetected. Even with all the men I had outside, no one saw her. I've watched the tapes too, and there's no sign of her leaving the room through the door or window, so I'm waiting on Jonathan Creek. He's one of my lead tech guys, and he's coming over to check out the room and the tapes; if anyone can figure it out — he can."

"The papers that Sue gave Billy Black were for accounts she has over in England, totaling more than three million British Pounds amongst them. There were also new IDs and passports; basically, it was everything she would need to disappear permanently. I believe Harry knew that Bree was going to go to tell someone, so he decided to try to get everything ready to skip town." I rub my face and then take off my jacket. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to hear all of this, but I listen to the rest of what Aro has discovered.

"The next thing I have to tell you may be hard for you to hear."

I look at Aro, who is looking back at me sadly. I give him a slight nod, signaling for him to continue.

"I believe Tanya – the real Tanya, that is – gave birth in whatever home Harry was holding her in. At some point, Sue must've taken the baby and filed papers, claiming that she gave birth to the child at home. Due to the fact that she had just given birth a few weeks earlier, she was able to fool the doctor in to believing it. She then signed the birth certificate for the child, pretending to be Tanya. I honestly think that's the only reason you were told about your son. Sue was the one calling him Edward. She needed to have some sort of hospital or doctor's records showing her name and photo with a new born child. She also listed you as the father on that birth certificate, knowing that she would have to have original paperwork to fool Esme.

"We know that she took Seth for the DNA testing, and that it is, in fact, him that's with her in the Polaroid you have. However, I believe it was her intent to pass the other baby off to you if you actually paid. I also wanted to let you know that, after exhumation, it was confirmed that Tanya Denali and Edward Masen Jr. were indeed the bodies in the graves, and that Edward Masen Jr. is not your biological child."

I close my eyes, trying not to think about how bad that young girl's life must have been. The more I discover, the more my heart breaks for her. I've already asked for young Edward Jr.'s stone to be changed to Edward Denali. I wish there was a way to find out what she had called her son while they were alive.

Aro and I discuss what will happen now, and how much we should reveal to Bella. I feel it's best to let her know everything except what Jane is currently doing to Paul. All we're going to tell her is that Paul is currently under lock and key.

**~HCV~**

Three days have gone by and there's been no sign of Sue. Aro told me that Jane is continuing to have fun with Paul, and that he is no longer an issue. Not even the police will have to deal with him again. I didn't ask any questions about what he meant by that; it's better that I don't know anything more than what's necessary. 'Tell me no secrets and I'll tell you no lies' seems like a great motto to live by, if you ask me.

I'm in my office at the college, and I've been feeling rather antsy all day. Bella just left with Jane to go to the house that Esme is working on. The couple that owns it hired Bella to work on a few larger art pieces. One thing she's doing is painting a mural on the wall of the music room that they have. Esme was going to cancel on them, but Bella asked her not to. She said that working would take her mind off of Sue.

I hear my door open and sigh because I fucking hate when people just walk right in. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

I hear a chuckle. "I have, but when you're as important as I am, there's no need."

I feel my entire body tense as I look up to see Sue standing in my doorway. A feeling of pure hatred surges through me and anger throbs in my veins.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Do you have a death wish?"

She looks at me and bursts into laughter. "Come on Eddie... I know you miss me. You and I could get back together, you know; we were quite cute as a couple. For you, I'd even put up with the moppets. Well, as long as they had a nanny or what not. We could even hire that husband-stealing-whore's bastard daughter. I'll tell you what Eddie, I'll even let you fuck her as long as it's none of that love-making crap."

I look at her like she's fucking lost her mind, and frankly, she must have if she thinks any of that is even a realm possibility. "I. DO. NOT. FUCKING. WANT. YOU. E-V-E-R!"

Sue just laughs again. "If you say so; it's your loss. So, book-boy... do you have the money for me?"

I look right at her and snarl. I need to call for help, and quick. My cell is in my pocket, and since my hand is already out of sight, I slip it in to my pocket as well. I push the number three button and hold it down for a second, knowing that it's programmed to automatically send an S-O-S to Felix. I just hope Sue does not notice me doing it.

"Why would I give you money? You're off your rocker if you think I would give you a goddamn dime."

Sue smirks at me with an evil glint in her eye. "Oh you silly boy. You will always be that abandoned, jilted little boy, won't you? I have news for you Eddie: you will give me what I want... if you want your little ones to live, that is. I'll hurt them, and your little bitch too." I get up and step forward, but she holds her hand out to stop me. "I'd have no problems doing it either. It would be easy to kill them and get away. Those people you have watching out for the bunch of you? They didn't even see me coming in here. How safe are you really?" Sue glances at her watch and sighs. "Well, I guess I better get going before Curly and Moe get in here. See ya later Larry." She cackles at her attempted humor, then opens my door and walks out. As I move to follow her, the fire alarms goes off, sending everyone out into the halls and making me lose sight of Sue almost immediately. I head outside, but don't see her anywhere. Felix and Garrett check in with everyone, and I relax knowing that they're all safe.

Aro was not pleased. Even though I was standing several feet from Felix, I could hear Aro's words being screamed in Italian. I'm glad that he was yelling in Italian though, so no one could pick up what he was saying. Matt checked out the alarm system, and said that it looks like someone hacked in and programmed it to go off at that exact time. This worries me even more as Sue clearly has someone helping her that's into technology. She's obviously more versed in diabolical plans than we have given her credit for.

My day ends early because all the classes in my building have been suspended for the rest of the day due to the tampering done with the security systems. Aro has asked me to drop in on my way home; he wants to talk to me about Sue's disappearing act at the Ball.

It turns out that the closet in the room we were in had a door that led into the next room. Once Sue was in the other room, she changed her appearance, and they have video of her exiting that room. It looked as if she had put a costume on that made her look like a heavyset, older woman, wearing a waitress uniform. She wore a short brown wig, and had she not purposely looked at the camera and waved, we never would have known it was her. She walked right out in to the ballroom, knowing that she was in the clear. Hell, she even walked right past Carlisle and Esme too, and neither had any idea she was so close to them.

The owner of the building had no clue that there was a closet connecting the two rooms. Apparently, there's a hidden panel, and it wasn't until this incident that the hotel discovered it. When they looked at the old blue prints, they could see that it had been there from the time of the build. They also discovered another small room; it was originally a safe room of sorts that was used during the war. Over time, it was forgotten.

I'm just now starting to see what Billy Black meant when he said that Sue was scarily smart. She did her homework on absolutely everything, which really puts me more on edge.

**~HCV~**

Seth and Leah have just gone to sleep for the night. I'm cleaning up the kitchen when Bella walks in. "Hey baby; I'm almost done."

She gives me a little smile, but it's strained. "I'm worried about Seth and Leah; they seemed quieter tonight than usual."

I put down the dish towel and wrap my arms around her. "We'll be fine baby; they'll be fine." I hold her face and make her look me right in the eye. "I will NEVER let her hurt any of you. The three of you are my life now, and I love you all so much." Bella nods her head and steps back, taking my hand in hers. Her eyes travel down to my watch, and she trails her fingers across the band.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

She looks up at me and frowns. "I was just thinking about my past. There was this one time that I saw one of Mo... her friends when I was at the park." Bella stops, and I know what's coming, but I wait for her to say it. "I had fallen down when a boy on his bike knocked into me. Her friend... he gave me a muffin." Bella's eyes meet mine, and I know what she's trying to say, yet I give her the time I know she needs to gather her thoughts. "I think that friend was you. I mean... was it you?"

My hand moves to her face, and I caress her cheek as I nod my head. "Yes baby, it was me. I am so sorry. I should've saved you that day."

Bella shakes her head at me. "I wanted you to save me. Even though I didn't know you, I wanted to go home with you. I wanted you to come back and take me with you. At night, I used to dream about you, but I could never see your face – just the watch. If you had saved me then though, Seth and Leah wouldn't be here. They are worth everything I went through and so much more."

I pull her toward me, hugging her tightly. "I still wish that I had saved you from her... from all of them. I will not fail you or my kids again."

"I've been thinking about something else too. I wanted to find out what you think about… Well, I know what you'll think, but I want to discuss it." Bella scrunches her eyebrows together but keeps going. "I'm not sure if we can actually do it or not, but I wanted to talk to you about it. And if we can do it, then we can speak to Seth and Leah about it."

I place my hand over her mouth. Bella's not the one to ramble on normally, so I know that this something hard for her to say. "Baby, just tell me what it is and we'll talk about it." Bella hugs me and give me a quick kiss on my chest before leading me to the breakfast bar and making me sit on one of the stools.

"Well, I just thought that if we could do it right away, it would be best. You know, if we do it now then maybe..." she stops again and shakes her head. This time I give her the moment she needs. "I think we should change Seth and Leah's last name to Masen," she says, looking at me questioningly.

I feel my heart stop, knowing that I too, want this more than I ever thought.

"Well, I mean... you're their dad, and they should have your last name because you love them and they love you."

She wants them to have my last name. Fuck! This is something that's been on my mind for a while, but I never said anything. I was afraid that Bella might think that she was losing them if they had a different last name than her. All I can do is sit here.

"I know it's for a selfish reason, but I want them to have your name. You know she wasn't very good, and I don't want people thinking that they're bad because they come from her. They are good – very good – and I think it would help them to move on. I mean... you've been really quiet... I thought that you would want them to have your last name too..."

I jump off my seat and pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly. "I would love for them to have my last name baby. We can change their names right away if you want, since paternity has already been determined. All we'd need to do is have Emmett file some paperwork with the court, asking them to acknowledge the paternity and agree to the name change. Emmett will also need to file the papers to have them legally placed in my custody, since I am their birth father." I stop and tilt her chin up, looking her right in the eye. "Are you sure you want this?"

She smiles genuinely while answering. "Yes, I'm sure. This is what's best for everyone. I may not be a Masen by blood, but I feel more like a part of this family than I ever felt with my own. As long as Seth and Leah are happy, I think that's what we should do." I nod my head in complete agreement with her.

We make a plan to talk to Seth and Leah this weekend. This way, it will give us time to talk through everything and make sure they understand what it all means.

**~HCV~**

It's Friday, and I've been calling Bella nonstop all day long. I'm not sure why, but I've had a bad feeling since I woke up this morning. As the day passes, the feeling grows more intense. I've already called Demetri and asked him to text me every half hour. I can't keep myself from worrying though. I thought he would think I was being overzealous and overprotective, not to mention untrusting of his protection detail, but surprisingly, he didn't seem offended. He was very understanding, and said that if it was his family, he would be acting the same way. He's due to text me in five minutes, so I'm just sitting here waiting, twirling my cell phone as my leg bounces nervously.

I sigh and take a look around my classroom. Everyone is busy doing a test that I handed out. No one has uttered a single word in any of my classes today. From the time they walked in to the time they leaved, it's been pure silence. Of course, the note on the door did say, 'SILENCE.' It's actually kind of amusing; no one has even sneezed today. I realize that I'm being an unreasonable asshole to them, but I can't seem to stop. I even found a gray hair last night, which Bella found rather amusing when I kept going on about it. Her laughter can always cheer me up a little, and I'll gladly take a few more gray hairs just to be able to hear it. Seth and Leah soon joined in, and it was good to have some relaxation time filled with laughter.

My cell phone beeps with an incoming message from an unknown number.

It's shocking that no one really checks people's identification thoroughly. All it would've taken them was a simple phone call. Parents send their kids to school, thinking that they're safe and being looked after. Stupid people even believe that NO ONE can come and take them away without your say so. Well, just to let you know... that is NOT the case. All I had to do was flash them a fake badge, and they handed them over to me at the drop of a dime. LMAO. Even after everything you've told them. I especially loved the part about not handing them over to anybody but a family member. Then again, the school thinks the same thing I do: your kids aren't worth the time to check up on who is who. They could care less who I really was, or if I was who I claimed to be. I warned you what would happen if I didn't get my money. You shouldn't fuck with me. Your one and only true love ~ XOXO

I look around the classroom and then at the text again before I take off running. I dial Demetri's number, but it goes to voicemail. I try Lucy and get the same thing. Fuck! Why is this happening? Where in the hell are they? Why aren't they picking up their phones? I get in my car a speed off toward the kids' school. I still haven't gotten an answer from Lucy or Demetri, so I floor it, going well over the speed limit.

I'm five minutes away from the school when my cell rings.

"Hello," I bark out.

"Edward, she was at the school... she tried to take them!" My eyes go to my cell as I hear Bella voice.

"They gave them to her! Santiago and Lucy blocked her, and Demetri stopped her."

I can hear the panic in her voice. "Baby, I'm almost at the school. Where are you?" I try making my voice a little softer.

"I'm at the school. I just got here; Esme brought me in her car. Sue sent me a text saying she was going to hurt them."

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. "Baby, I'm almost there," I say, turning the corner that leads to the school. I stop the car and freeze in my seat. All I can see are fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars everywhere. In the middle of everything, there's a partially burned car that has been roped off. I quickly turn off my car and run toward the scene. As I run, I scan the crowd for Bella, Seth, Leah, or someone who will tell me what the fuck happened.

I finally spot Santiago on the playground and head for him. When I get closer, I see Esme, Bella, Seth and Leah there as well. I let out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding in.

"Are you all right?" I ask as all their heads snap up to look at me. The twins nod their heads; but when I look at Bella, I see her holding back tears. I motion for Esme to stay with the kids, and I quickly give them each a hug and kiss.

Bella moves to stand, so I help her up. She walks a short distance away from Seth and Leah before she turns to me and sobs in to my chest. "She put them in the car. Sh... she set it on fire. She set the car on fire when they were in it."

I feel the anger rising inside me as I rub her back to help calm her. "Shhh baby; I'm so sorry – so sorry that she got a hold of them. Have they been looked at?" I feel Bella nod her head but she doesn't speak. "Okay; I think we should take them to Carlisle anyway, just to have him double check them. I'll also call Samantha and see if she can fit them in today or come by the house."

"What kind of person sets fire to a car with children in it? Especially your own children – the ones you carried and gave birth to! She... she's not right... Edward, she's evil. I really believe that. Where you are one of God's angels, she is one of the devil's spawn. She may even be the devil herself; I know she's a real-life monster."

I close my eyes and try to hold back my anger. Everything Bella said is so true – Sue is a monster. "Well, I think that would be a good name for you to call her: Step-Monster!"

I hear Bella chuckle and it's music to my ears. "Yeah...Step-Monster from hell."

I pull back so that I can see Bella's face and wipe away her tears. "I'm going to talk to Santiago and Lucy for a few minutes. I won't go far, and after I'm done, we're taking the twins to see Carlisle."

"We should probably wait here for him. Esme called him and he said that he'd be here soon." I nod in agreement and kiss Bella's lips. Together, we walk back to Esme and the kids, and I hug them again before walking over to Lucy and Santiago.

"What the fuck happened? Why did they hand our kids over to that psycho bitch?"

Lucy looks behind me to where Mrs. Crown is standing. "Sue came in and claimed to be a police officer working with Scully and Spade. She had a wig on and was wearing colored contacts. She was darker than we've seen her before as well. Possibly from a spray on tan or dark liquid foundation. She said that they needed to speak with Seth and Leah. Mrs. Crown didn't bother to check up on her story, which is really fucking stupid because police don't work that way.

"I saw them just as they were leaving through the main doors. I sent a quick message as I ran after them. By the time I got outside, she had them in her car. Santiago blocked the front of it, and Demetri covered the back. She didn't seem at all concerned though. She just stepped out, laughing to herself, and then threw what must've been a bottle of gas with a lit rag into the car. The car was on fire before she slammed the door closed. We all tried the doors, and when we couldn't get them open, we ended up busting the back window and pulling the kids out. All three of us were so worried about saving the kids that she got away. I tried to follow her, but she must have had another car waiting nearby."

I pull at my hair as I think about what just happened. Yet again, Sue was able to get in and out without breaking a sweat. This time she could've killed them! The fucking school KNEW they were to be under extreme scrutiny. The staff had been warned about Sue's many aliases and ability to change her appearance. They were warned about her use of fake IDs in the past, and they STILL let her take them!

"Oh shit," Santiago whispers, looking as if he's in shock. Curious as to why, I turn around to see what he's looking at. I'm stunned momentarily when I see Bella pointing and screaming in Mrs. Crown's face. Both Santiago and I look at each other before running over to them.

"How was I supposed to know that she was a psychopath? It's not my fault your family has got some screws loose. You and your trash brought her to my school; if anyone should be angry here, it should be me," Mrs. Crown scoffs out.

I bite back the growl bubbling in my chest.

"We told you what was happening. You should have checked first before allowing anyone to take them. They're scared out of their minds already, and this just made it ten times worse. They're supposed to be safe when they are here! What the hell is your problem with us anyway? Seth and Leah are always here on time, they do well in their classes, they work hard, hand in their homework on time, and always wear the appropriate, clean, school clothing listed in the handbook. What is it that upsets you so much about us, because I have been racking my brain to figure it out?"

Mrs. Crown looks Bella up and down heartlessly, so I place my hand on Bella's lower back to show her my silent support.

"You really want to know? Hmm... well; I know that your sugar daddy here bought you new clothes, but you're still nothing more than white trailer trash. You just happen to be better dressed now. Most of the kids at this school come from GOOD, UPSTANDING families you know... hard working families that are not poor. You brought those little, trashy brats into my school; and with them being here, it has brought us all down a level. I don't want to run a school with a bunch of poor, low class families in it. With more of you and your kind here, I'll soon need a bullet proof vest just to come to work. This school is in a good area; filled with good people and look at all this chaos that YOU brought into it."

I look at Mrs. Crown in disgust and shock. Her reasoning for not liking them is ignorant and out of date. "So you thought… 'I don't care if she is who she says she is; I'll just hand them over and be done with them.'?" Bella's voice is full of pain, but there's a lot of anger there too.

When Mrs. Crown just shrugs her shoulders, Bella launches forward. I quickly wrap my arms around her, pulling her back before she can attack.

"How could you do that? She put them in a car and set it on fire! They could have been killed or severely burnt!" Bella is still fighting me as she screams at Mrs. Crown.

"See? That is a prime example of what I meant by trailer trash," Mrs. Crown smirks at Bella.

Bella stops fighting in my arms and she shakes her head. "They could have died – why can't you understand that?"

I feel her body starting to go limp in my arms. "Baby, hush now please... baby, you need to calm down."

Mrs. Crown goes to speak, but is cut off by a pissed-off Caius. "Mrs. Crown, I would like to see you in the office RIGHT NOW!" Mrs. Crown's face pales, and she begins to open and close her mouth but nothing comes out.

"Mrs. Crown? Before you go, I have something I would like you to know." Bella's voice is hard and strong as she stills in my arms.

Both Mrs. Crown and Caius turn to face Bella.

"You can stick your upper class school up your ass because Seth and Leah are far too good for you, or any other school that doesn't see them for who they are and what they are capable of. You, as an educator, should be looking to see what you can bring that child, and not what that child's family can bring to you. Seth and Leah will not be back here again." I feel myself smile at Bella's speech when Mrs. Crown looks back at her in surprise before quickly walking inside with Caius hot on her heels.

"Come on baby. Let's get our children home." Bella nods and takes my hand as we start to walk back to Seth, Leah, Esme, and the newly arrived Carlisle.

"I'm sorry for saying that Seth and Leah wouldn't be coming back, but I don't feel like they would be safe here – not with her." Bella nods her head in the direction of the school. "She won't watch them like she's paid to do, and we still have the whole Step-Monster from hell issue to deal with. Can we..." Bella stops and looks right at me, "can we – and by WE, I mean you – teach them at the house? I mean that home school thing you thought I did. Just until we get them into that new school after summer break? It would give us time to find a new house and have them settled before they start a new school. I mean, we don't have..."

I cut Bella off by kissing her lips. "Baby, I think that's a great idea; it really is. Most of my classes are winding down now, so I can teach them at home just fine. I'm sure you and Esme can help too. We'll start looking for a new house tomorrow. You're so fucking smart and insightful, and that was fuck HOT SEXY what you just did; how you were ready to kick her ass like that."

Bella blushes before she lets out a little giggle. "You can't go a full hour without thinking about sex!"

I nod my head in agreement. "You're right; especially since I get to be with you, my Bella Baby. You're the one I'm making love to, and the one who makes me this insatiable horn-dog."

We get back over to everyone, and Carlisle tells us that the twins are still in shock, but that they're fine physically. It would've been much worse if Demetri, Santiago, and Lucy didn't react as quickly as they did.

We take Seth and Leah home, and they remain quiet the whole way. After deciding to have Chinese for supper, Emmett goes out to pick it up. While he's gone, we talk a little about them not going back to school, and how I will teach them at home. We also discuss our plan to look for a new home, in a different and better school district. Both of them seem to be happy with the ideas we've discussed so far.

After dinner, we bring up the issue about changing their last names. The only part of it that upsets them is that they would then have a different last name than Bella. Bella assures them that this is what she herself wants, and that it was her idea. She also tells them it will be okay, because soon they will not only have new names, but a new house and school. They finally smile when Bella tells them that this is a great chance for all of us to have a completely new start as a new family. I kiss Bella's head and add that she will have the same last name as them once we're married.

I smirk at the look on her face. I mean, I've never hidden the fact that we would be getting married. I have told her on several occasions that I plan to marry her. I just wish I had my mother's jewelry still. I would love it if she could somehow be wearing the ring she deserves to be wearing. I have looked around, trying to find a ring for her that speaks to me, but haven't had any luck so far.

"Baby, would you mind if I talked to Seth and Leah alone for a few minutes?"

Bella looks me right in the eye and nods her head. "Sure; I'll go and make us some hot chocolate. If you drink it before you go to bed, Esme said it may help you sleep better." She gives each of us a quick kiss before leaving the room.

After she steps out, both Seth and Leah look at me. "I wanted to do this right and wait until I had the ring to ask you, but I think that maybe after today, I should tell you... well, ask you. I love you both very much. You are two of the most important people in my life. I also love Bella; she is my life line. She makes me be a better person, and a better dad to both of you. I know that she's the most important person in both of your lives, and I know that you both love her very much. Now; normally, when a man loves a woman and she loves him back, he's supposed to ask the woman's father for her hand. That means he would ask her dad if it was okay for him to marry her. Do you understand so far?"

They both nod their heads.

"Good; well Bella doesn't have a dad, but you are both important to her. You're the best part of her family there is, and the only family she has who's opinions matter to her. With that being said, I'm asking you both. Seth, Leah, I am asking, not as your father, but as the man who loves Bella with every beat of his heart, and as the man who promises to always take care of her as if she is the single most precious person in world. I also want you to know that I have yet to get her a ring, so this won't happen right away, because a ring is a very important part of asking someone to be your wife. So... may I have your permission to ask Bella to marry me?"

I watch as both of their faces fall, and I'm worried that Bella and I no longer being together makes them happy.

"Can you tell me what you're thinking?" I ask, even though I'm afraid of what they might say.

"We would love for Bella and you to get married, because that's what happens when you love someone." Leah starts talking first.

"But if you two get married, then she'll be your wife, which will make her our sister and stepmom," Seth carries on.

"Yeah, and I know Bella will never hurt us, but stepmoms are bad."

"Bella's stepmom is for sure," they agree together.

It surprises me that they call Sue, Bella's stepmom and not their mom.

"So was Snow White's," Leah carries on.

"Cinderella's too, but Bella's not bad. We don't want her to have a bad name," Seth carries on.

I chuckle a little. "You're right; Bella would never hurt you. Not all step-moms are bad either. In fact, most are good and really nice. Sadly, those three you mentioned have given step-moms a bad name. Outside of our family, the world already see's Bella as your stepmom. I know you've always thought of her as your sister, but she has always taken care of you as if she was your mother. From the moment she first saw you, she has been there for you, and nothing or no one that could ever change how she feels about you."

They both nod their heads, looking much happier; and then Seth's eyes widen. "Does that mean Bella will be a Masen too?" I nod my head at him.

"Will you tell us first?" Leah asks

"We will, but you can't tell Bella about this even though I tell her just about every day that she will be my wife. I would still like to surprise her; you know, the whole get down on my knee thing." Leah claps her hands while Seth makes his yuck face.

**~HCV~**

Seth and Leah stayed with Bella and I in our room last night; they were still a little scared after everything that happened yesterday. Aro called us early this morning to inform us about a house that's close to Peter and Charlotte. He said that a friend is selling it, and that it's not even on the market yet. The owners had moved to Italy in January, so Aro contacted them and the keys where given to the realtor he uses so that the house can be shown when we call.

After making arrangements with Aro's realtor, we called Esme and Carlisle about watching the twins. Of course they were excited to have them, so we drop Seth and Leah off before heading out to see the house. We pull up outside, and Bella bites her lower lip; I think she really likes the house. As we make our way to the front door, the real-estate agent comes out.

"Mr. and Mrs. Masen, come on in."

Bella blushes at his mistake, but neither of us correct him.

The home has a full basement. Half of it is a gym and workout room, and the other half has a built-in pool and Jacuzzi. On the first floor, there is a large eat-in kitchen, with all stainless steel appliances. The living room has an enormous stone fireplace on the west wall, and the dining room is nestled between it and the kitchen. There is also a large family room on the opposite side of the house that has a built-in, theater-sized movie screen, and eight comfy-looking chairs along the north wall. A set of double doors reveals a large library that has floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and even a small office off in the north corner.

The house also has a large utility room off the kitchen that has hook-ups for three washers and dryers. There's a small, half-bath off the entry hall, and a large, curved staircase. The second floor has four bedrooms, each with their own en-suite. The third floor houses the master bedroom, a private sitting room, a dressing room, and a very large bathroom. There are also two other large bedrooms that are separated by a full bathroom. Lastly, we discover a full attic that has been completely remodeled and has several large skylights. Bella and I take our time looking around; the whole thing is very nicely done. We both have the same thought after seeing the attic: it would be a perfect room to make into a space for Leah and her telescope.

The asking price for the house is $750,000, but Aro's friend said that if we wanted it, he would knock it down to $700,000 even. Bella has already said that she wants to put money toward buying our house, and she decided that she wants to use a good portion of her inheritance from her grandfather to do it.

The inheritance check is currently in the process of being issued; the check can't be cut until her grandfather's clause is fulfilled. The clause states that in order to release the funds, there has to be DNA proof that the money is being released to none other than Miss Isabella Marie Swan. After everything Sue has done, I think he was a really smart man. Now that the DNA proof has been submitted, the lawyers are waiting for the results so that they can sign off on it. Once they do, they said a courier would deliver the check within three business days. All together, the process is supposed to take around two weeks.

Between what Bella is putting in, what I have in savings, and the sale of the house we have now, we can pretty much buy the new house outright. The money that I was spending at Aro's club in a matter of three months, is almost the same amount needed to send the kids to the new school, so we won't be out any money there either. After talking over all of our finances, we decide this is the perfect house for us.

After both of us sign on the dotted line, I smile at Bella, knowing that in one month we will be moving into our new home. When we get back to Esme and Carlisle's, we find that Aro and Zafrina are here as well.

"We're going to take it." Esme smiles, realizing that we will be less than ten minutes down the road from her now.

"What about the money? Will you be able to afford it right now?"

I smile at her and nod. "Well, between what I have saved, what Bella is putting in, and the sale of our current home once that goes through, we will have enough to pay three-quarters of it outright."

I watch as Aro, Sculpia, Zafrina, Carlisle, and Esme all share a look, and Aro holds up a finger. "Well Edward, we would like to make up the difference." I start to tell him there's no need, but he holds up his hand to stop me. "Please just hear me out. We would all like to do this for you guys. You know what Bella and the twins mean to me personally, and you all mean the same to each of us." Aro gives me a pointed look before he smiles at Bella. "If she wasn't with you, I would be helping her with her first home anyway."

I look at Aro, hearing the pleading in his voice, and I know that he's right. The more I see him with Bella, the more I see the fatherly love he has for her. I'm not sure why I didn't see it when I first saw them together. I nod my head, knowing that this is something he not only wants, but needs to do.

"Well, I better get the place listed on the market," I say, kissing Bella's temple.

Bella gets a big smile on her face, raises her head up, and looks me in the eye.

"What's going through that cute head of yours now Bella baby?"

She takes my hands in hers and faces me fully. "Well… Emmett is looking for a house, but he hasn't found anything he likes yet. Since I really like your home, I was just thinking that maybe Emmett would want to buy it. I mean, he likes it there, and Cam would need to get used to a new house if he goes someplace else."

I smile at her again, not even slightly surprised that she came up with such an incredible idea. "That's a great idea baby. I should have thought of that. Emmett would love that idea, I'm sure." Esme claps her hands and hugs Bella and me at the same time.

We get home and put the kids to bed, and once that's done, I tell Emmett about our new home. I also tell him about Bella's idea for him to buy this one. I was a little worried until I saw the grin on his face. Without uttering a word, his face says it all; he would love to buy this house. In a way, I'm glad he is buying it. I've made a lot of happy memories here with Bella and the kids, so I'm glad that I will still get to see it after we move.

A week goes by, and thankfully everything is quiet. There have been no sightings of Sue, which is nice in a way, but at the same time aggravating. Sue has everyone on edge, and we're all worried about what her next plan might be. Whatever she's planning, we know it won't be good.

I'm still in bed this morning. With it being a non-school day, we all slept in a little later than usual. I watch Bella as she comes out of the bathroom; she looks like something is wrong.

"Baby, I can see something's wrong, so come talk to me."

"Edward; Carlisle said that when I got to the little pink pills, I would start my monthly cycle. I've been taking the pink pills for four days now, and it still hasn't come. Is something wrong with me?"

"I'm not sure, but we can call Carlisle and find out what he thinks."

"No, we can't call Carlisle!" Bella says, sounding panicky.

"Baby, why can't we call Carlisle?"

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Love, you can tell me anything, and I will always be here for you. I will never get mad at you for talking to me."

"Carlisle said that if I didn't take the pills right, or if we didn't use those condoms for the first month, then we could have an 'oops' baby. He also said that if my cycle didn't start when the pink pills came up, then I could be pregnant. I don't want him to be mad, and I don't want him to call it an 'oops' baby if..." She stops talking suddenly after spitting all that out without so much as a breath.

"I'll go to the drug store and get a test. We can take it this morning, and then if we need to, we can go to the women's clinic by the college. Don't worry my love; everything will be okay, I promise."

I can see the fear in her face, so I pull her close to me and kiss her head.

"Will you think it's an 'oops'?"

I pull her back enough so that she can look in my eyes, and I shake my head. "Baby, if you're going to have my child, it would make me so very happy. I want nothing more than to be tied to you in every way possible. I love you so much Bella, and I will be absolutely ecstatic if you are indeed pregnant. I'll go get the test right away. Do you want to start breakfast?"

Bella nods her head, so I pull her back in once more and kiss the top of it. "I told you once and I will tell you again: no baby that we make together could be an 'oops.' You were put on this earth to save me baby, and I love you so much."

"I love you too Edward," she whispers into my chest.

After spending a few minutes just holding her, I get up and throw on a pair of jeans and a pullover sweatshirt. I kiss Bella and tell her I'll be right back. The drive to Walgreens is short, and when I walk in, I find the aisle quick enough. Never in my life have I seen so many different choices. I understand that several companies make them, but honestly... do we need to have a selection of twelve different brands? I grab five different boxes that all claim different things: rated number one, easy to use, fast results, digital read-out, and earliest detection.

At the counter, an older lady waits on me, and I can see her holding in her smirk. I know I must look really nervous, but it's because I am. I'm not worried about spending the rest of my life with Bella, but I worry about her health with all of this stress from everything that's going on.

Driving home it dawns on me: Paul could have not only killed my Baby Bella, but he could have also killed my baby that she's carrying. "Get your shit together Edward. You don't even know if she's pregnant or not yet!" I yell at myself as I pull my hair. After parking in front of the house, I hurry inside.

"Dad, there you are! I was worried because you weren't here. Bella said you had to go to the store. What did you get?"

"Hi Princess. Yes, I'm back from the store. I just had to go grab some new razors and things because I need to shave my scruffy face," I say, rubbing my scruff against her hand after bending down to hug her. "I'm going to run these razors and shaving cream upstairs; I'll be right back."

"Okay, Seth and I are helping Bella make breakfast. It'll be done in ten minutes."

"Alright, I'll be right back down." I head up to our room and put the bag of tests in the bathroom. Then I brush my teeth and go downstairs.

Breakfast is good, but I want to get Bella upstairs to take those tests. Emmett is planning to take Cam over to Esme's today, and Seth and Leah want to go too. It's perfect timing, so Bella and I get them ready to go.

"Okay, you two behave and help grandma watch over Cam today. We're having supper over there tonight, so we'll see you then."

Bella and I hug the kids goodbye before Emmett drives off with them. "Okay, I've waited long enough; the tests are in our bathroom."

"Are you coming with me?"

"Of course, where else would I be?"

"Then let's go get this done. Did you read the directions yet?"

"No, I figured we could do is together," I explain. Taking her hand, we walk upstairs together and head straight to the bathroom. I pull the tests out of the bag and we read the instructions. One of the tests comes with a collection cup, and I leave the bathroom so that Bella can fill it up.

"Okay, I'm done. Would... could you help me do these?"

"Of course baby."

Together, we put four drops on one test, one dropper full on another, dunk the ends of two of the other tests, and use the dropper on last one until the red line appears. Once all the tests are going, we wait the five required minutes, holding hands the entire time.

"Baby; no matter what these tests say, it changes nothing. You know that right?"

"Yes Edward, I know. I know you'll be here for me no matter what."

"Forever baby; forever."

DING.

"Shall we go check them?"

"Yeah..." Bella says shyly. "You look... for us both."

"We'll look together, one at a time."

First test: two blue lines. Second test: pink plus sign. Third test: smiley face. Fourth test: blue plus sign. Fifth test: pregnant.

I look at Bella and I can see several emotions as they cross her face. I see disbelief, shock, fear, joy, happiness, but most of all, I see love as her hands both move to lay upon her flat stomach.

"I love you baby, and I'm so very happy. I'm calling a doctor right away so we can get you in immediately for a blood test to confirm this."

"Wait Edward... can... can I see a different doctor? I mean, I trust Carlisle, but I just want to see... maybe a different doctor... for now?"

"Of course baby. I'll go to my office and make a few calls, and I'll find someone who will see you today." I kiss her lips and she smiles at me. "I love you so much Bella, and I love our baby too. Come downstairs with me?" I ask, not wanting her away from me at all.

"Of course," she says with a smile.

Two hours later, we are sitting in the waiting room of the Seattle Women's Health Clinic. We've filled out countless pages of paperwork, and they've already drawn blood in the lab and had Bella pee in a cup. Right now, we are sitting together, quietly waiting to see the doctor. I haven't taken my hand off of Bella, other than the two times she's been in the restroom since we read the first test result.

"Isabella?" an older nurse calls out and we both stand. "Hello Isabella. My name is Grace. I'm Dr. Corin Eclipse's nurse. You'll see me at each of your visits, and we'll always do things in the same order that you did them in today. When you come in, you'll go to the lab first, where they will collect your urine sample. Then when I'm ready for you, we will weigh you and get you in a room to see the doc. Please follow me," she says with a warm smile.

"Can you please call me Bella? No one really calls me Isabella."

"Of course dear; and you are?" Grace asks, looking at me with a smile.

"I'm Edward Masen, Bella's other half and of course the daddy," I say. Bella smiles sweetly, and Grace makes a sound of approval.

"Well Bella, step up on this scale and I'll jot down your weight, then we'll go into the room on the left."

I watch as Bella gets on the scale, and I am so proud that she is not like most women. I hate when women freak out about others seeing their weight. When we enter the room, Grace takes Bella's blood pressure and temp, and then asks a bunch of questions.

"Okay Bella, at this appointment, the doctor will do a check of things. I need you to change into this gown okay? And here's a sheet to cover up with when you're done. No need to worry; the doctor will be right in."

"Thank you," Bella says with a smile.

After Grace leaves the room, I help Bella change. She laughs at me, because I just get in her way as I try to help her. I finally relent and sit down, waiting for her to finish on her own. When she's done, I help her back up on the table just as a knock sounds on the door; Grace and a woman I assume to be the doctor, enters.

"Hello Bella and Edward; I'm Dr. Eclipse, but you can call me Corin. I see according to the chart that you were taking Ortho-Novum 7/7/7. When did you start taking them?"

"I started taking them in February."

"Okay, well the blood test is definitely positive, so I think today we'll do a normal check-up, and a sonogram. Bella, do you want Edward to remain in here while I do the exam?"

"Yes please."

"Alright then; I was pretty sure you'd want that, but in this office, things are always your way. Never be afraid to tell me anything and you can ask any questions. If anyone or anything makes you uncomfortable, let me know."

"Thank you," Bella says.

I sit by Bella's head as the doctor does her examination, and listen as she explains to Bella each step. Soon, Grace moves the machine closer to the bed, and the doctor puts some gel on Bella's lower abdomen, right above her pubic bone. "Okay, from the looks of things, you should be around five weeks pregnant. The baby may only be a small blob right now, but we'll be able to show you on this screen."

I watch in awe as I hold Bella's hand, waiting to see what the doctor points out to us. As I watch, I see recognition on the Grace's face; I know she can see something I'm missing.

The doctor turns to both of us and points to the screen. "Here is your baby. He or she is just as I thought: right between five and six weeks. Right here is the amniotic sac, and this small thing right here is the baby growing. If you look very closely, you can see your baby's heart."

"That's our baby Edward... our baby."

"Yes, it is; I love you so much," I say before kissing her lips.

The doctor cleans the gel off and helps Bella sit up. "Do either of you have any questions for me?"

"Yes, can you tell us what the due date is?" I ask.

"Well, at five to six weeks along now, according to the ultrasound, I'm going to give you a due date of on or around December 17th," she says with a smile.

"A Christmas baby," Grace says, making Bella giggle.

"I umm... I have a question?"

"It's okay Bella, you can ask me anything. How about we leave so you can get dressed? When you're ready, you and Edward can come into my office and we'll talk for a few minutes, okay?"

Bella nods, so Dr. Eclipse and Grace leave the room so she can get dressed again. When she's ready, we step into the hall and Grace shows us to the office.

"Bella and Edward, have a seat. Now... what questions do you have for me?"

Bella clears her throat and holds my hand. "The pills I was taking to not have a baby – I stop those now right?"

"Yes, that is correct. We will have to check your hormones and things after you have the baby, too. They may not have been the correct kind of pill for you, or there may be another reason they didn't work. You are both seemingly happy about being pregnant, so I'm assuming that you intend to go through with the pregnancy. Is that correct?"

"Yes, of course we want this baby," I say as Bella nods her head in agreement.

"Good," the doctor says with a smile.

"I also want to know if umm... if I can still umm... if we can... have sex?"

"Yes Bella, you can still engage in sexual intercourse. It is perfectly normal to maintain a full and healthy sex life while pregnant. Some women are even able to have sex all the way up to the day of delivery. Given your smaller body size, you'll have to be creative, but as long as your partner is careful, there is no reason you cannot."

"Do we have to tell anyone that this is an 'oops' baby, because I don't like that name?"

"Bella, I'm not sure where you got that name from, but as long as you're happy and you love this baby, it could never be a mistake. The baby may be a surprise or unexpected, but if you love it and want it, it will never be an 'oops'."

"Thank you Dr. Eclipse. I've been telling her the same thing all morning. My adopted father is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and he meant nothing bad by talking about an 'oops' baby. He just said it offhandedly to make a point. Even Carlisle would be happy for us, so I can assure you that no one, especially Bella and myself, are unhappy about this child."

"Ah, I understand now, and please call me Corin. My husband works here as well, and it's easier to keep us separate by using our first names. I know Carlisle very well. Is he your family doctor?"

"Yes, but we don't want to tell anyone yet. We have to tell Seth and Leah first, but I want to wait a while to do that."

"Well, I won't tell anyone; but rest assured Bella, that Edward is correct. Carlisle is a good man and loves children very much. Do you have any other questions?" Bella shakes her head. "Okay, well if there are no other questions, here are some things for you to read over before your next visit. Make sure that you eat healthy, and take the prenatal vitamins I'm prescribing you. Stay away from raw or under cooked meats and shellfish, no hot-tubs or sushi, and don't overexert yourself. Cut any workouts you do down, no heavy lifting, and try to stay stress-free as much as you can. I'm sure things will be wonderful if you follow the advice of the reading material I am giving you. I'll see you again in four weeks, and we'll plan on doing another ultrasound then."

We take our things, stop at the desk to make our next appointment, and then head to the drug store. Bella is quiet, but I expect she's still somewhat in shock. After getting the vitamins and grabbing two different books on pregnancy, we head for home.

"Bella Baby, we have three hours before we go to dinner. We should eat a sandwich and take a nap. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like heaven," Bella says with a smile. "How long do you think we should wait until we talk to Seth and Leah about the baby?"

"Well, I was thinking about that already. How about we wait until after we go to see Corin next time? By then, you'll be almost to the end of your first trimester, and hopefully Sue will have been caught. How does that sound?"

"That's a good idea. Now can we eat? I'm hungry."

I nod and make a sandwich for us to share, grabbing some chips to go with it. After we clean up, I snag us each a bottle of water and we head upstairs. Setting the water on the bedside table, I pull Bella to me and I slide the ponytail holder from her hair, allowing her long locks to fall free. I kiss her as I unbutton her shirt and slide it down her arms. Without breaking apart, we both fully undress each other, and after I remove her last article of clothing, I pick her up and lay her on the bed.

"I love you so much Bella, and I am so happy that I get to share this with you. The thought of being here with you, and watching your body change as our child grows, makes me so very happy. You, Seth, Leah, and this child are my life. You all fulfill me and make me a better man. I want to make love to you. Will you let me love you?"

"Edward, I want you to love me, now and forever."

"Bella Baby, you have my word; forever and ever."

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><p><strong>AN: Well now, can anyone figure out what Jessica said we had to do RIGHT NOW? I wonder who else wants to lynch Sue now, and do you think she is working alone? We're excited to read your thoughts and ideas about the baby to be. How do you think Seth and Leah will take the news? How long do you think it will take Edward to find the perfect ring for his Bella Baby? **

**Chapter 30 is written and off for the beta process. Chapters 31 and 32 are in my inbox and I am making progress with 31. Nikky and I are also writing a really awesome super-forbidden romance for the forbidden fruit contest, but we can't tell you what one is ours, but we can tell you to check them out when they start posting... because, well who doesn't like a little forbidden fruit between Bella and Edward. **

**There is a lot going on in my real life right now, I am moving very soon and things will be hectic for at least a week or so, at this point there are no planned delays, but the time may come where there will be a one week delay, just given heads up on that now. As long as I can get my mojo flowing, we should be okay. Thanks for reading, please review. **

**Kasi (&Nikky)**


	30. Chapter 30

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks go out to: Jess2002, Content1, Sally, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759 and Alice's White Rabbit. This group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. **

**All mistakes in the final post copy are ours. **

**Kasi & Nikky.**

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**TeamAllTwilight & AndTAT Fan Fiction**

* * *

><p><strong>~HCV~<strong>

**Chapter 30: The Faith Within.**

Seth and Leah have taken to home schooling well; both are extremely bright children. Lucy resigned from her temporary position at the school, and is now helping us teach them at home. Between the five of us: Lucy, Esme, Zafrina, Bella, and myself, the twins are receiving an excellent education. They've both been a little more edgy lately, and upset about what happened with Sue. It's been causing both of them to have more nightmares than usual. Samantha's advice was simple: just keep helping them feel safe and secure in their home. We've talked about it several times, and I think they now understand that the school did something wrong. I also know that they believe we will keep them safe.

Mrs. Crown has been fired over her behavior, as were four other staff members. This led to newspapers getting a hold of the full story of what happened at the school. When the story first came out, all that had been said was that there had been an attempted abduction. Since then, though, someone had talked – my guess would be Mrs. Crown – and it's been all over the local news and in the papers.

Thankfully, Seth and Leah's names have been kept out, but reporters did manage to get some of the story behind Sue, Charlie, and Harry. They were also able to gather some information on Bella, like the fact that she raised her siblings from birth, but they did not focus on this. They focused, instead, on how Bella had to have known that her uncle and parents were hurting and killing people, and hid it instead of going to the authorities.

They talked about how when she worked, she left the children unattended and neglected. That one line hurt Bella the most and I had a hard time trying to calm her down. Of course, it also upset Seth and Leah. To say I was ranting and raving over the phone to just about anyone who would listen, was an understatement. I had to take several deep breaths and remind myself that I was supposed to help reduce the stress, not add to it.

I am constantly worried about Bella and all the stress she's dealing with; more so now that she is carrying our child. There's a part of me that really wants to tell Carlisle so he can tell me that everything is going to be alright, but she's still so worried about disappointing people. I hate to see her worrying so much, or thinking that she's being bad. I've been working hard to control my anger, but sometimes things like the newspapers' lies set me off. I know that Bella doesn't think any of us will hurt her, or even that I would allow anyone to hurt her. It's more that she's spent years being told that she was bad or was doing everything wrong. She never had anyone praise her when growing up, and I haven't been in her life long enough to negate all of that. Sometimes it's shocking – even to me – that it has only been ten months since I had that panic attack in the park. So much has happened since then, and so much has changed for everyone.

I believe there are two reasons Bella is so afraid to tell anyone about the pregnancy. First, she probably thinks that they'll be disappointed in her or us. Second, she knows this will give everyone another reason to be worried about her, and she doesn't want anyone being more worried or stressed because of her. Just like always, she refuses to put anyone else before herself. The newspapers' printing all of those lies has definitely taken a toll on her.

Everything changed two days ago when her church started talking to the papers. Suddenly, Bella has been shown in a new light and is being praised for all she has managed to overcome. It was not only the church, but her pervious bosses, as well. Even the one from the hotel came forward and spoke about how hard working and honest Bella was. They spoke volumes about her dedication to her job, her loyalty to her family, and it was made clear that Bella had, in fact, placed the twins with a sitter when she was working. They were classified as being poor, and yet Bella made sure her siblings never went without something they needed.

Pastor Weber made it very clear that there is a big difference between needing something and wanting something. He pointed out that time and time again, Bella often went without something she needed, just so her siblings could have something they wanted for a change. He also spoke about the fact that Bella often helped with any charity function the church held. Sadly, a few things remained the same. There are still a lot of mixed feelings about the fact that Bella and I are dating, and that she is nine years my junior. The biggest cause of controversy, though, is the fact that she's been raising them as their sister and I am their father. Again, the whole thing was blown out of proportion, and the papers claimed that I was shacking up with my kids' big sister. I'm just glad to see that more and more people are standing up for us instead of going against us. Unfortunately, there's an overabundance of ignorant people out there, and seemingly, most of them hold a pen and write for the papers.

When Bella's check came through, I called my bank to arrange a time that we could go in. Bella wanted to open an account for herself, but I plan to just add her to mine. Because of the fact that Bella has been nervous and worried about everything, I asked the bank to set aside non-banking hours for us to come in. Thankfully, after I explained a little about us needing bodyguards and what not, the banker agreed. It may have helped that between Aro, my family, and myself, we have the most money in the bank.

Bella and I have just arrived at the bank. I hold Bella's hand as we walk in; squeezing it to let her know that she'll be all right. When I see Mr. Harper, the bank manager, coming our way, I kiss the top of her head.

"Mr. Masen," Mr. Harper says, giving me a smile as he shakes my hand before turning to Bella. "And, this must be Miss Swan?"

Bella's gives him a small smile back. "Please, call me Bella." He nods his head at her before glancing at Felix and Jane, who are standing at the door with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Please, both of you, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

Bella bites her lip and looks at me. "Nothing for me, thank you, but could you please get Bella a glass of water?" Bella smiles at me and I rub her back, knowing that she's still quite nervous. Mr. Harper comes back with Bella's bottle of water and a glass, and sets them down on his desk in front of her.

"So, Mr. Masen, I hear that you would like to add Miss Swan to some of your accounts. Is that correct?"

I nod my head. "Yes. I have three personal accounts, and would like Bella's name on each of them."

Mr. Harper looks to me and nods his head. "So that's your savings account, your direct debit-checking account, and the inheritance account?"

Again, I nod my head at him.

"Okay. I'll need some information first. Have you brought photo ID with you?" he asks Bella.

Bella nods her head and hands him everything that he asks for.

As we're talking, Bella leans in to me and whispers in my ear. "Edward, is there a restroom I can use?"

I look at her face and see that she's a little pale. "Mr. Harper, is there a restroom that Bella can use?"

He looks up at Bella, gives her a smile, and nods his head. "Yes, of course. Mary, can you show Bella where the restroom is, please?"

Another worker walks over to us. "Right this way, Bella," she says with a smile.

I stand and kiss Bella's head before whispering in her ear. "You okay, baby?"

Bella looks at me but then closes her eyes. "Yeah, just a little… You know?"

I nod my head at her once she's looking at me again. I hate the fact that she's been sick lately, and I know being inside the bank isn't helping her. I let her go with Mary, and Jane follows closely behind them. After they go through the door, I sit back down.

"I hope she's okay. She doesn't look very comfortable here."

I nod my head at Mr. Harper. "She's not. She's had some bad history with banks, and that makes her feel uncomfortable in here. Plus, everything that's been going on lately has her feeling very ill-at-ease."

He gives me another nod. "All right, Mr. Masen, I need you to sign these papers." I pull them toward me and look them over before signing them. Once I'm done, Bella comes back, looking even paler than before.

"Bella, I need you to sign these as well, please." Bella looks from Mr. Harper to me, and I nod my head. She still looks to me when she is unsure of something. Once she knows that it's okay, she signs each form and then pushes them back over to Mr. Harper.

"Thank you. I've already ordered your card, Bella, and it should arrive within seven to ten business days. If you need money before it comes, you can go in to any off our branches and show them your ID with this card that has your account number on it. We keep a copy of your photo ID on file so that we can match your face and signature if a card's not available." Bella nods her head, showing that she understands, so Mr. Harper gives her another smile. "I hear that you're making a deposit, as well?"

"Yes. It's a check from... I got it because my grandfather died," Bella says as I hand the check over to him.

Mr. Harper gives Bella a nod as he looks over the check. "I'm sorry to hear that."

I rub Bella's hand, hoping my touch will be enough to help keep her calm. "I'm sorry, too. I wish I remembered something about him." Bella frowns, so I kiss her head.

Mr. Harper also frowns slightly at her words. "Oh, I am sorry to hear that, dear. You sound like you had a lot going on – both of you. I must say... I've known Mr. Masen for almost fifteen years now, and this is the happiest I've seen him."

Bella gives him the biggest smile since walking into the bank. "Can I ask a question?" At his nod, she continues. "Umm... how do we set up an account for children?" Bella asks as Mr. Harper looks up at her and gives her another smile.

"Well, we'll need their birth certificates, and then it's pretty straight forward from there."

Bella nods here head. "The lawyer that sent me the check says that I am due one more big check in September, because that's when I turn twenty. I want to set up accounts for my brother, Seth Masen, and my sister, Leah Masen. Well, that will be soon enough... right now their last name is Swan. I mean, they're Edward's children, but we haven't gone to court yet. We'll be going in June – next month – to have their names changed legally." Bella closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Never mind. It isn't important. Can we just do it after that's done? I mean, maybe put some of the money away for them so that they will have some that they can use now, and some that they can't get unless they use it for school – you know what I mean? Or, just some they can't have until they get bigger?"

Mr. Harper chuckles at Bella's rambling but nods his head. "Yes, we can set up two accounts for each of them. One can be a 'deposit only' account until they reach a certain age –whatever age you choose. The other, depending on their age now, can allow them access to withdraw money anytime, as long as they have a parent's signature as well. That means that either Mr. Masen or their mother would need to sign along with them to take money out..."

Bella starts shaking her head as soon as he says the word 'mother,' and when he doesn't stop right away, she starts yelling. "NO! No, not her! Please, not her. I don't – we don't want – she'll take their money." Bella looks at me in complete panic.

"Shh, Bella Baby, it's all right. She won't get their money, I promise."

Mr. Harper looks at both of us questioningly. "Their mother is also Bella's stepmother," I say, as Bella mutters step-monster. When she does, I have to hold back a chuckle. "She's the woman that tried to take the kids from the school a few weeks ago. I'm sure you've read the articles about a Mrs. Susanna Swan. You need to know that she is dangerous, and uses several different aliases. She's also the reason for the bodyguards." I tilt my head toward Jane and Felix.

Mr. Harper nods his head and looks to be in shock. "Well, in that case, I can set up their accounts with the names they have now, and require that only you or Mr. Masen be able to sign for them. As soon as the court order is established with the name change, I will make the switch from Swan to Masen." I give him a smile and nod my head at him.

"Can we do that next time? Set up accounts for Seth and Leah... and put money in for them?" I nod my head at her as she puts her hand on mine, which is resting on her belly. "And, for any others that come along?"

I smile at her and caress her stomach with my thumb. "Of course. We can set everything up after the court date. That way the twins can come in with us so they know what to do."

"Well then, it seems like everything is done for now. I look forward to meeting Seth and Leah Masen. I'm sure everyone here will enjoy meeting them if they're anything like you, Bella. Your check should clear in seven to ten business days. Please let me be the first to welcome you to First National Bank of Seattle, Bella." Mr. Harper shakes Bella's and my hand after we stand up, and then walks us to the door.

"Bye for now, Mr. Masen, and it was pleasure meeting you, Bella." Bella gives him a wave as we walk down the stairs.

"So, how was your first trip to the bank?" I look at Bella as we make our way to my car.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sorry that I was rambling, I just..."

I cut her off by pulling her to me and kissing her. "You were fine. You didn't do or say anything wrong." I kiss her one last time before opening her door and helping her in. "How are you feeling, baby?" I bend down look at her.

"I'm just tired, and I feel a bit icky." She looks toward the back of the car, and when she sees Felix and Jane still standing outside the car waiting for me to get in, she whispers, "Why do they call it morning sickness if it can last all day? Shouldn't they call it all-day sickness, or with-child sickness?"

I chuckle, shake my head, and shrug my shoulders a little. "Well, most pregnant women are sick in the morning, and during the day it slowly goes away. Some doctors think that because your body goes so long without food during the night, that may be why. That's also the reason they ask you to eat small amounts of food during the day to help with it. Some people have it really bad. I think that with everything going on, it's worse for you, baby. We'll stop at the market and buy some ginger biscuits, okay? The doctor said those may help. There are a few other things we can try, too. I'm sorry that I can't stop you from being sick, baby, but we can tell Carlisle the news to see if he has any other suggestions. He won't be upset with either of us, I promise."

Bella looks at me wide-eyed and scared. "No, please! Can we not tell him yet, please? Um... before we tell anyone else, I wanted... I thought that maybe we should tell Seth and Leah first. I hope they're okay with this. I need them to be okay with this. You three... and this one," she says rubbing her tummy, "are all that I will ever need." I watch as Bella's hand continues to gently caress her stomach.

"Baby, they'll be fine. They will love Lil Bean just as much as we do. We just need to make sure they understand it doesn't change how we feel for them."

Bella smiles at me. "I can't believe how much I love Lil Bean, already. I'm looking forward to meeting this one so much, but I'm also looking forward to feeling all the stuff that happens while it's still inside me. I can't wait to feel the first time it kicks." I smile at her.

"Me, too, baby. Me, too." I lean over and kiss her head. "I'm going to let Felix know we're heading to the market before we go home. I'll be right back." I stand, close her door, and then walk over to Felix and Jane.

"We're going to stop off at the grocery store before we head home. Do you need anything?"

Jane rolls her eyes at me as she shakes her head. "We'll be walking around with you. If we see something we need, I'll be sure to tell you. You need to get Bella something to help settle her stomach soon, though, so can we get a move on? All this stress is making her sick. I don't know why Aro won't let me sort out this matter with the newspapers. I would fix those assholes right up. Stupid fuckers just piss me off..." She continues to mumble as she moves to get in my car.

Before she can climb in, Felix grabs Jane's arm and pulls her to his car. "We'll follow you."

I watch them get in the car, shaking my head as Jane continues to go on about how she should be allowed to deal with things her way.

I jump in my car and head for the market, making sure that I'm no more than three car lengths in front of Felix at any given time. We pull up and park the cars, and the four of us head into the grocery store.

"When should we tell Seth and Leah?" I ask quietly, looking at Bella as I push the cart. After a glance behind me, I could see that Felix and Jane were far enough away that they wouldn't be able to hear us talk.

"Well, I think we should do it soon," she whispers.

"I want to tell them first, too, but baby, I'm worried about you. The thing with Sue and the issue with the newspapers are stressing you out, and I would really like for Carlisle to look you over. No one is saying how long it will take to catch Sue, especially since she hasn't even been seen lately. So how about we tell the twins this weekend, and then we can tell everyone else after the start of your third month. The end of the first trimester or beginning of the second is when most couples tell other people, anyway. If your morning sickness gets any worse, though, I would like to tell Carlisle, since he's your doctor. I know he won't tell anyone else." Bella looks at me, closes her eyes, and then nods her head.

"Maybe we should ask Seth and Leah what they think about us having a baby first, instead of telling them that we are going to have one. Then they wouldn't be trying to keep a secret, or have to lie to anyone if I'm sick when they're around."

I think about what Bella has said and nod my head. "Baby, that sounds like a great idea," I tell her as we walk around the store, picking up little things here and there. I make sure to pick up some extra sweets for Seth and Leah while we're here.

We stop in the middle of an aisle as Bella looks at the baby food. "What are you looking at, baby?"

She turns and looks at me. "Well, when Seth and Leah were ready for something more than milk, the step-monster said that baby food was too expensive. Since Leah was a pretty sick baby, I used to put fresh food in the blender for her – like boiled sweet potatoes. It also helped me to know what she liked and what made her sick. I was just thinking about Cam. He's three months old now, almost four, so he might be wanting something besides milk soon. Do you think Emmett would mind if I made him some food using the blender? I would still do it even after we leave. I mean, we still see both of them a lot, and I can find out how to keep the food fresh for Emmett."

I rub her back. "I don't think he would mind at all, baby. In fact, we can talk to him about it when we get home, but I don't want you taking on too much. You've got this baby, our Lil Bean, to look after now, too." She leans in to give me a kiss, and then we start walking again.

We arrive home in time to eat lunch with Seth and Leah. Felix, Jane, Garrett, and Lucy join us, as well. It's strange that even though they're acting as our bodyguards, they've become very much a part of our extended family.

I've even gotten more comfortable around Jane. Watching her and Bella together has made it clear to me that Bella isn't afraid of her at all. When Bella or the twins are around her, Jane seems to be able to keep her temper in check and her anger at bay. I still don't know where all the protectiveness Jane has for the three of them comes from, but I'm glad it's there. Jane interacts more with Bella, Seth, and Leah than she does with anyone else. Well, except for Garrett... and I'm not sure any of us are supposed to see those looks.

**~HCV~**

The twins are all tucked into bed. Lucy and Jane are using Bella's art room as their sleeping quarters, since it's right next door to Seth's room and just across the hall from Leah's. That way, they are close by if the twins need them. Felix and Garrett have gone home, and Santiago and Demetri are sitting outside in the cars: one in front and one in back.

After turning off the lights and setting the alarms, I head upstairs. I freeze for a second when I hear Bella's voice, and then I tiptoe toward the door to peek in. I can't help but smile when I see Bella sitting up on some pillows with one hand on her belly and another holding a book. I listen to her.

"In the meantime, Beauty could not help reflecting on herself, for the uneasiness she was likely to cause poor Beast, whom she sincerely loved, and really longed to see again. The tenth night she spent at her father's, she dreamed she was in the palace garden, and that she saw Beast extended on the grass plat, who seemed just expiring, and, in a dying voice, reproached her with her ingratitude. Beauty started out of her sleep, and bursting into tears. "Am I not very wicked," said she, "to act so unkindly to Beast, that has studied so much, to please me in everything? Is it his fault if he is so ugly, and has so little sense? He is kind and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their husbands; it is neither wit, nor a fine person, in a husband, that makes a woman happy, but virtue, sweetness of temper, and complaisance, and Beast has all these valuable qualifications. It is true, I do not feel the tenderness of affection for him, but I find I have the highest gratitude, esteem, and friendship; I will not make him miserable, were I to be so ungrateful I should never forgive myself." Beauty having said this, rose, put her ring on the table, and then laid down again; scarce was she in bed before she fell asleep, and when she waked the next morning, she was overjoyed to find herself in the Beast's palace."

I chuckle a little as I shake my head. She is reading Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont. "Baby, are you reading Beauty and the Beast to Lil Bean?"

Bella looks at me, biting her lip and nodding her head. "I didn't get to read to Seth and Leah when they were babies. I thought I should start early with this one. I know I'm being silly again."

I walk over to her and join her on the bed, kissing her face and neck. "You are being sweet, loving, cute, and adorable, but not silly. Can you stop until I come back?" I raise my eyebrow at her, so she nods her head. "I'm just going to get ready for bed really quick." I kiss her one last time before heading into our bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.

I read Lil Bean another story after Bella finishes _Beauty and the Beast_. It feels so good to lie here, talking away to him or her. I kiss her belly, wish Bean a good night, and then spoon myself against Bella's back all while holding our baby in the palm of my hand.

**~HCV~**

I wake up in the early morning and hear that Bella is sick again. I quickly grab the bottle of water from my bedside table and move into the bathroom. When I get to Bella's side, I hold her hair out of the way while rubbing her back with my free hand. "I'm sorry, baby. Take a deep breath and try to relax. Here's a bottle of water for you. Rinse and spit the nasty stuff out. I'm so sorry." I hand her a tissue to wipe her mouth and then help her to stand. "Are you okay, baby?"

She nods her head at me while picking up her toothbrush and toothpaste. I watch as she brushes her teeth for longer than the normal couple of minutes. When she's done, she smiles at me. "I hate being sick. It's so yucky, but it's not your fault. At least something really good comes out of it in the end, though."

I kiss her head and hug her close. "I know, baby. The sickness during pregnancies is normal. I just hate it when you aren't feeling well. Hopefully, once everything calms down and the first trimester is over, the morning sickness will slowly go away like the books say. Come on, we should go and feed you and Lil Bean." I take her hand and walk her to the kitchen.

Bella starts the eggs and makes Cam his morning bottle while I get the orange juice out and put the coffee on for Emmett and myself. Everything is just about ready when the others walk in.

"Morning all," Emmett says with a smile. I watch as he moves over, buckles Cam in to his highchair, and then digs into his breakfast.

"Morning Beeward, Emmie, and Cam," Seth and Leah say in unison.

Bella feeds Cam his bottle so that Emmett can get ready for work. She actually looks after Cam two days a week for Emmett. His parents have him two days, and the fifth day he goes to the daycare at our church. Emmett has changed his hours so that he no longer works on weekends or after seven on any given night. He's a great father, and has spent almost every minute outside of work with his son. After breakfast is over, Emmett leaves to drop Cam off with his mom before heading into work.

Bella and I sit down with Seth and Leah after everything is cleaned up. "Edward and I would like to talk to you about something important, okay? We would like you to answer us truthfully, and not just tell us what you think we want to hear." Seth and Leah look between Bella and me, and then nod their heads.

"How would you feel if Bella and I had a baby?"

They look to each other and then back to us. "I would love to be a big sister. Can I feed it sometimes?" Leah asks with a smile as she watches us.

Bella smiles back at her and squeezes my leg under the table. "Yes, you can. I'm sure he or she would really like that."

Bella then turns to Seth, who has remained quiet so far. "Can you have a girl?"

Bella looks to me and I shrug my shoulders. "Sorry, Little Man, but we can't choose what it will be."

I watch his face fall and I wonder why. "Oh," he says rather dejectedly.

"Seth, what's wrong?" Bella asks as she reaches out to grab his hand. "Why do you want us to only have a girl?"

Seth looks at Bella like he's ashamed. "Well, I already have two sisters, and I'm the only boy right now, so I'll always be your favorite brother... and Leah's, too. Besides, I like being Dad's Little Man, and I don't what to share that."

I realize for the first time that all of this may be affecting the kids more than they've been letting on. "Seth, I love you. You will always be my favorite brother, just like Leah is my favorite sister. When I have a baby with Edward, I'll still love you both, and we'll still spend time reading and doing the stuff we've always done. I promise you that, Seth. Nothing – not even a baby with Edward – could stop me from loving you the same way I have always loved you. My love for you and Leah only grows. Every day, I love you more and more."

I rub Bella's back and pick up the conversation. "Seth and Leah, I love you both so much. Seth, you will always be my Little Man, just like Leah – and only Leah – will be my Princess. Bella will always be my Bella Baby or Baby Bella. These are your nicknames, which I gave to you. When Bella and I have a baby, I will give him or her a nickname, too. I love both of you so much, and I will love any baby Bella gives me, but it will be different. I'll love you each individually for who you are. Seth, you are my boy, my first son, which will always make you special. Leah is my first daughter, and that will always make her special. Both of you will always hold those special places in my heart. I love you both equally but differently, just like I will equally love any baby I have with Bella. I'm capable of loving you all the same, and never letting you down." Seth and Leah both nod their heads at what I'm saying.

"I think we need a family hug," Bella says as she stands up. Both children run into her arms and hug her tightly while I wrap my arms around all of them. After a few minutes pass, I start working with Seth and Leah on their morning classes while Bella gets ready to go with Esme. They're finishing up the Cameron house today. I made sure that when she was painting, she wore a mask. Thankfully, Esme never questioned it. I walk Bella out to the car and tell everyone to have a good morning.

"Baby, I'll see you tonight." I kiss her lips and she lets out a small sigh. "I want a picture of your finished work, too. Don't forget. And text me at lunchtime, okay?" I remind her as I kiss her again, only to let her go when I hear Jane let out a huff.

I'm pretty sure I also heard her mutter something like 'for fuck's sake' under her breath before making her comments known. "You'd think she wasn't coming back with the way you're acting. You are such a pussy, Eddie."

I look at her and raise my eyebrow. Over the last few days, I've been replying to Jane's snide attitude, with my own bitch brows and snarky comebacks. Jane still scares the hell out of me – just not as bad as she used to. I know that she would never hurt me, because hurting me would hurt Bella.

"Well, I think I'm just a romantic who shows my girl that I love her. There's nothing wrong with that, Jane, and I'm sure once you find your Tarzan, you'll turn all lovey-dovey, too."

Jane's face goes white and she glares at me. "I don't do 'lovey-dovey' stuff. I'll leave that to you, pussy boy. Now let her go so she can get into Esme's car and we can be on our way. You're making me nauseous."

I feel Bella chuckle and I sigh. "Sorry, sweet girl, but I've been told I need to let you go to work now." Bella gives me a quick smile and one last kiss.

"I would think about adding his cock to my nice collection, but he's already lost it to Bella." Alec barks out a loud laugh as Jane slams her car door shut. I roll my eyes and open the door on Esme's car for Bella. "I'll see you tonight, love." I look in the car and see Esme holding back a laugh.

"I love that you're sweet and like to hold on to me. They're all just jealous anyway. See you tonight." I smile at Bella and what she said as I close her door and watch them drive away. I chuckle as I notice Jane sending me another death glare through the back window.

I head back into the house and make my way to the living room. I'm glad that I get to spend a little time with Seth and Leah on my own today. I grade their work and then have them help me make lunch.

Afterward, I decide we should do something outside. "Hey, guys, I was thinking that we could go outside for a bit. We can pull out the bikes and outdoor toys, and play in the yard before Lucy and Zafrina come to do your afternoon classes. How's that sound?" They both look at me and nod their heads.

We talk and play until Lucy and Zafrina arrive. I had a lot of fun just spending time with them in the fresh air. I enjoy when Bella is with us, too, but it was nice having a few hours with the twins by myself. I've missed so much of their lives, but I'm so happy that I have them now. And spending time alone with them helps us all, I think. I already make sure to allow Bella and them time alone together, because I know it's something all three of them need. I think that Seth and Leah also enjoyed the time we shared today, and that makes me happy. I've been trying to put in a few hours at Midnight Sun while Bella's at work with Esme, so I kiss Seth and Leah on the head before I leave.

**~HCV~**

I've been at Midnight Sun for about an hour when Mrs. Marshall from the church comes in. She's the woman that got Esme the job at the Cameron's.

"Mrs. Marshall, how are you today?"

She turns her head and smiles at me. "Oh, Edward, my boy, I'm good. Is this your place?"

I chuckle and return her smile. "Yes, this is my restaurant."

"How are Seth and Leah? I missed church on Sunday. This darned old hip of mine caused me a little shut-in time at home this past weekend. I can't wait to see them again. I have some books to give them. Oh, and I read those articles, you know. That woman needs to be caught. How in the world could she do that to such lovely children?" Mrs. Marshall shakes her head.

"They were a little scared, but they're holding up well. I know they missed you at Sunday school. I'll be sure to tell them I saw you today." Again, she gives me a big smile.

"How is Bella holding up? I was not at all pleased with the stuff that Mr. Porticalis allowed his paper to print, and I made sure to tell him and his mother exactly what I thought about it. He always was such a terrible little boy. I've known him since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, and he was writing lies then, too." She shakes her head while clucking her tongue.

"She was upset about it, but I know she's very grateful for your kind words, as am I. I can't tell you how much it touched me to read those letters that several of you sent in to the paper. It was nice to see all of you sticking up for my girl."

Mrs. Marshall taps my hand. "I wish I could have done more. All this talk about your age and her age..." Mrs. Marshall rolls her eyes. "In my day, no one would even bat an eyelid. My Jeff is thirteen years my senior. I say that people should learn to keep their nose out. It isn't like she's underage or anything. I just don't know what this world is coming to. I know the Cameron's are happy with the work she's doing, not to mention the wonderful work that Mrs. Cullen is well known for."

"Yes, Bella's been enjoying it. Thank you for putting in a good word for her."

She waves her hand around. "Bella's a gifted girl, and I told them as much when I went for dinner. Now there's a story for you. That new cook is the reason for my little hip injury." I tilt my head to the side. "Her cooking gave me food poisoning. I was rushing to the restroom when I slipped. It was bad, but not as bad as that awful sweet perfume she wore. I've got a delicate nose, and that stuff was just awful, I tell you. She also seemed to be more interested in checking out the rings on my hand than doing her job. Mrs. Cameron said that after the two week trial, she didn't think she would extend the offer of employment."

I could see Mr. Marshall roll his eyes, but I suddenly got an uneasy feeling. "What did she look like?"

Mrs. Marshall looks at me in surprise. "Oh, she was a little on the heavy side and had really dark eyes. She was wearing one of those old beehive hairdos, and I'd say she was probably around fifty or so." I sigh and rub at my face. It doesn't sound like I need to be overly concerned. "She won't be working for them for long, and honestly, her incompetence aside, there was just something about that woman I didn't like. The way she talked about my ring... it was almost as if she was sizing it up to sell it. I'm just a silly old woman, though. Take no notice of me."

After leading her and her husband to a table, I take their order and then head over to the kitchen. I hear Aro's voice echoing in my mind… 'She dressed in a fat suit and a waitress uniform.' Then I could hear Matt. 'She would change her appearances to fit in with whomever and whatever she was conning.' Unbidden, a flash of the picture that Bella drew enters my mind and then I hear Mrs. Marshall's voice. 'There was just something about that woman'.

"Edward, are you all right?" Felix's voice pulls me from my daze, and I shake my head.

"No, I've got a really bad feeling. Call Jane and ask her to check out the Cameron's cook. Make sure she is what and who she appears to be." He nods his head at me and I pick up my cell to call Bella.

"Damn it, it went to voicemail!"

I look up at Felix and see his frustration. "Jane's cell went to her voicemail, too, and that's really unusual. She always answers."

"Taylor, I need to go!" I shout, leaping over the bar and heading straight out the door.

"Edward, we'll take our car. Let's go." I follow Felix to the car while he fumbles with his phone.

"Sir, I – we may have a Code Blue at the Cameron home. We're heading there now. Our ETA is ten minutes. Yes, sir. Edward is with us. Yes, sir." He hangs up and turns to Garrett. "He said to step on it, now!" He then turns to me. "Aro is on his way to the house, as well."

I rub my face roughly as I try Bella's cell again. "Bella's tracker shows that she's still at the house. It hasn't been activated." I nod my head and throw my cell to the side. It takes just under ten minutes to get to the Cameron house. "Esme's car isn't here!" Felix shouts as he jumps out. Drawing his gun, he cautiously heads into the house and, gun or not, I follow behind. At the doorway, we come across an unconscious Jane and Alec. Garrett bends down to check them and make sure they're alive.

"Bella! Esme! Bella!" I yell out as we head further in to the house.

"We have a Code Red, Sir. I repeat. Code Red, two guards down." I look to see Felix talking on his hands free phone. As I move around to look for anything out of place, I hear a crashing sound. I run to the living room and see Esme tied to a chair that's been toppled over. I move to her and quickly untie her.

"Sue... she was the cook! Shit, I didn't see that it was her until it was too late. Bella did, though, as soon as she looked at her. Sue took Bella with her. They left about five minutes ago." I start to panic and pull my hair, at a loss for what to do.

As I look around, I notice that a groggy Jane is waking up. "What happened?" Esme moves over to help her to stand.

"She gave us all lemonade," Jane huffs.

"Bella went to go check the room while I was talking to Mrs. Cameron. She told us that her new cook made us some lemonade. Jane said no, but Mrs. Cameron insisted. After Mrs. Cameron left, Bella walked in the room, and as soon as she saw Sue, she knew. She shot a look at Jane immediately, and said 'It's the step-monster,' but it was too late. Jane and Alec had already been drugged and had collapsed. Bella moved to go to them, but Sue pulled out a gun and ordered her to tie me to a chair. All of our phones were ringing nonstop, so Sue told Bella to hurry up, and when she was done, Sue dragged her away."

"That fucking bitch is dead!" Startled, I look around to see Jane disappearing from the house. I move to run after her, but Felix stops me.

"Edward, you need to calm down. You don't want to be around Jane right now. Trust me. She moves faster when she's alone."

I pull away from him. "You don't fucking understand! She's pregnant... Bella's pregnant! Fuck! Please, she needs to be all right. She can't lose Lil Bean. She's already lost too much already." I feel the tightness pulling at my chest again. Fuck, I cannot have a panic attack right now!

"Edward, this is not the time to freak out. Aro is almost here. You need to have faith that Bella will activate her tracker, okay? She'll be fine, and she will protect the baby." I look directly at Garrett, wishing I had his confidence.

When I hear another vehicle pull up, I glance at the door. "I'm coming, too. That woman took my daughter and grandbaby!" Esme shouts.

I gape at Esme as the door to the van opens. "I don't care who's coming, just get in!" I meet Aro's eyes and then jump in the van, noticing that it's filled with computers.

"We have a birds-eye view of Esme's car. Jane is about five minutes from them and closing fast." I look at one of the screens and see Esme's car, wishing I could beam myself into it.

"I need everyone ready. I want Sue alive! Make sure you're more careful of Isabella because she's pregnant. Do not, I repeat, do not crash into the car to stop it!" I watch Aro as he speaks.

"He's got all his guards coming in from different locations. He's going to try and box Sue in." I'm grateful to Felix at the moment for explaining what Aro is doing.

"Sue just pulled over at the First National Bank of Seattle."

I look to the other man who's sitting at a keyboard. "I'm hacking the cameras now. We should have visual in ten seconds. The cameras will be on a thirty-second delay, so we should be able to see them as they walk in the door." Glued to the monitors, I watch as a view from inside the bank flickers to life on the computer screen. On a separate monitor, I watch as Bella and Sue enter from the outside, and then look back to the one of the inside, holding my breath until I see them enter.

As I watch, the screen changes to focus in on Bella and Sue. Bella looks absolutely terrified, while Sue has a smug grin on her face. She says something, and then pulls Bella over to the teller line.

"I need sound, now, Randall!" Aro shouts. "I need to know the best action to take!" he yells at the computer guy.

"I'm working on it… Okay, got it. We should have sound now," Randall says.

I cover my ears as static and squelching fills the van.

"I'm working on it," Randall says before Aro can get a word in. Slowly, I hear the sound of people's voices coming through, but they're all overlapping each other. "I'm zeroing in on Bella and the step-monster, now." Chuckling, I look toward Aro as his man uses Bella's nickname for Sue.

"I know everything," is all the explanation Aro offers.

"You're a stupid little pet, aren't you? You think he's actually going to want you? Ha! He only used you to get Seth and Leah. He just wants to keep them safe. He could care less about you and whether or not you're safe. He bought you. We had this all worked out. Come on! He put that check in to a joint account. Are you really that stupid?" I watch the screen as I listen to Sue's lies. "It was all part of the plan. He was watching you, and wanted to fuck you. So, I sold you to him so he would help me get my money."

"Fuck!" I scream. "No, baby. Don't listen to her." I touch Bella's face on the monitor as I watch a tear run down her cheek.

"Jane has just arrived at the bank. She's making her way in now," Randall says as he continues to type away.

"Edward loves me for me, and he loves Seth and Leah, too. Even if you kill me after you get this money, he will still love them and keep them safe. You're not my mom, and you're not my friend. In fact, you are nothing to me. You can have all the money. Just take it! The money Edward and I have means nothing to us. I don't care what you say – you will not break the trust I have for my family and my friends." I smile at how strong Bella sounds.

Sue laughs at her. "Maybe not, but if you don't do what you're told, I will kill everyone in this bank, starting with that little curtain climber over there!" Bella looks over at the young boy that's crying in his stroller. He must only be around nine months old. When she turns back, she sees Jane standing there but doesn't alert Sue.

"Hello, Bella. How are you, today?" l look at the screen wide-eyed as I see Matt standing in front of Bella.

"I'm alright, thank you. Just picking up some money for Edward. How was your honeymoon?"

Matt smiles at Bella. "It was good, thanks. Well, I'll see you tomorrow for my shift." He turns and walks toward the door. He stops when he sees Jane, gives her a smile and a nod, and then makes his way out.

"Fuck! I think we just lost Sue to the boys in blue." I look at Aro as he sighs.

"Jane is going to be pissed," Felix says with a grunt.

"We have all exits covered, and we're entering the bank from the back. The cops have taken over, and we've transferred the bank staff already." I look at Aro questioningly. "I'm replacing the bank employees with my people. I'd rather get this done right. The more people I have in there, and the fewer civilians there are, the more likely no one will get hurt." I hear Aro talking again and focus on him. "Jane, your job is simple: lay low until it begins, and then cover Bella at all costs." I look at him and swallow hard before looking back to the screen.

"Boy's in blue have arrived. Stefan is dealing with them right now. They know the plan and have six snipers on the roof across the street. Getting a birds-eye view of them now," Randall reports. I watch as the screen shifts, and I see that most of the staff has been pulled from the building. The customers have been stopped from entering, and have been replaced by undercover police officers and Aro's men.

I look to the screen and see that Bella has reached the front of the line. I stare right at her through the camera, taking in a full view of her face.

"Baby, I'm right here," I whisper.

Her eyes find the camera and she looks right at it. Her mouth moves, and I swear she says my name as her hand goes to her belly.

"Miss Swan, what can I do for you?" Mr. Harper asks as he looks at Bella.

"I'd like to make a withdrawal. You should have received an email about it this morning?"

Mr. Harper nods his head. "Yes, we did. Please sign here." Bella signs the slip and hands it back to him. "If you'll come this way, Miss Swan, I'll get the briefcase for you." I watch them walk toward the table.

Three things happen at once: a small child pushes his toy car, it slides under Bella's foot and trips her. As she falls, she pulls Sue's jacket open, revealing to everyone the gun.

"Oh my God!" one of the remaining customers shouts.

Sue grabs Bella roughly and yanks her up. "You stupid bitch!" She hits Bella in the face with the butt of her gun, making Jane jump.

"Oh, look... the troll is here. Stand back or I'll give her a little extra iron in her diet."

Jane takes a step back but never once moves her eyes away from Sue. "You better get my money right now and shut the fuck up! Damn it, I forgot to bring a gag! Now I'll have to listen to your insufferable whining all day." I watch as she walks Bella to the briefcase and makes Bella pick it up.

"So tell me, troll, did the queen troll wake you up, or was that little Eddie-boy?" Jane smirks at Sue.

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy playing with you," Jane says as she gives Sue a toothy grin.

"Ha! I'm not going to get caught, you stupid troll."

Jane step forward. "Oh, but you are." At that, Jane pulls out her gun.

"Drop it or I'll shoot her."

Jane shrugs her shoulders. "Go ahead. I can find another friend."

Sue looks at her, confused. "I'm going to give you to the count of five."

Jane barks out a laugh. "I'm not going to count. The second you say one, I'll pull the trigger, and before you can even say two, you'll have a bullet in your brain."

Sue suddenly looks shaken. I watch as Jane's eyes move to Bella, and she blinks at the same time Bella stabs Sue with what looks like scissors before elbowing her in the stomach. Jane grabs Bella's arm and pulls her out of the way as Matt and his team all pull their weapons.

"Drop your weapon and get your hands in the air!" Jane is completely covering Bella. Sue looks all around and I'm guessing she's trying to find a way out.

"I said– drop your weapon!" She must realize that she's outgunned, but she starts to turn her gun toward Bella and Jane, anyway. Matt is much faster, quickly kicking her in the shoulder, making her drop the gun.

Without another thought, I jump out of the van and run toward the bank. I get stopped by a police officer at the same time I see Matt bringing Sue out. "Matt, please! She's pregnant. I need to get in there."

He looks at me and nods his head. "Let him in. The place is secure."

The officer steps out of my way, and I run up the stairs and head straight in. My eyes fall on Bella right away as she sits on Jane's lap while Jane rubs her back. Jane's eyes find mine the second I walk in. "She's just been sick again. I think you need to take her to see Carlisle. Her lip is busted open, too."

I nod my head at Jane. "Come on, baby. They have Sue in custody. You're safe now. The nightmare is finally over, my love."

Bella nods her head and gives Jane a hug. "Thank you so much," I hear Bella tell Jane in a quiet voice.

"I told you no one would ever hurt my friends and get away with it. Go get checked out to make sure you and your Lil Bean are alright."

Bella wraps her arms around me and I look to Jane. "Thank you."

She smiles at me. "I know how you can pay me back. I'm sure I'll be in need of Emmett's help soon, so I'll give you a call when I need bail and a lawyer." I look at her puzzled as she walks away.

With Bella wrapped in my arms, we walk out of the bank and see that Matt is still here. "I need to talk to you about what happened today." I nod my head in acknowledgment. "I'll come by your place tomorrow. For now, go get her checked out and make her get some rest. We have enough on Sue without talking to Bella until tomorrow, anyway."

I nod my head and make my way back to the van. The doors burst open as we get close, and Esme pulls Bella into a hug. "Oh, my dear child," she says, looking Bella over. Aro kisses Bella's head as they push us into a waiting car and we take off to the hospital.

When we get there, Carlisle is waiting outside for us. "Is everyone all right?"

I sigh and pick Bella up in my arms. "We need you to look Bella over."

I look at Bella and she bites her lip. "I'm sorry. I swear I always took the pill when you told me to," she cries out.

Carlisle frowns at her outburst and looks at me. "She's pregnant," I explain, stroking her side with my fingers while hugging her even tighter.

I see him smile a little. "Come on, Little One. We'll check you out."

Carlisle deals with Bella's busted lip, which needs five stitches, while she begs me to call home and check on the twins. When I do, I find that they're both fine, but were worried because we weren't home for dinner yet.

"Let's take a look at the baby, next. How far along are you?"

Bella looks to me and smiles a little. "We should be almost seven weeks now. It's our Lil Bean."

Carlisle nods his head and lets out a little chuckle at our nickname. "When did you find out?"

"Just over a week ago," I explain. "Bella saw Dr. Corin Eclipse at the Seattle Women's Health Clinic."

Carlisle looks at us and smiles. "Well, your precious Lil Bean looks to be just fine. But you, missy, look like you need more iron. I need to take some blood and check your levels to be sure, though."

Bella looks at him and nods her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be upset with us, or worried about me."

Carlisle turns to look at her. "Bella, it's fine, I promise. Stop worrying so much about other people. You've got Lil Bean to look after now."

I watch him hug her and rub her back. "Carlisle, can you still be my doctor and look after me? Or, do we really need to find someone else because I'm pregnant?" Bella asks and I watch as Carlisle's face lights up.

"Little One, I can still be your doctor. I would love nothing more than to see you through this."

Carlisle takes the blood sample and sends it over to the lab. "Go ahead and take her home, Edward. I'll wait for the results and then come over after I get them. I'll also bring any new medications with me, okay? Esme says Zafrina is already cooking supper for all of us."

We head home and decide that since nearly everyone knows, we need to tell Seth and Leah right away. Once we do that, we'll tell Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Zafrina the news.

When we get to the house, it's full of people, and while Bella is tired, she's glad to be surrounded by our family and friends. We pull Seth and Leah into the office, and tell them about Sue being caught. They seem to be instantly at peace. When we tell them Bella is seven weeks pregnant, Leah claps and Seth grins widely. Both of them kiss Bella's belly and give us both hugs.

After dinner, we tell everyone else the news, and there is plenty of celebrating going on. Lucy and Santiago plan on spending the night here, just in case Sue had any helpers we don't know about. As I lock up the house before bed, I smile, knowing that my baby is upstairs and okay.

Entering our room, I see that Bella is once again in bed reading to the baby. Tonight, she's reading some Dr. Seuss books. "Baby, are you reading Green Eggs and Ham to Lil Bean?"

"Yes, I love this book. I wish I could have read it when I was little. It's so much fun!"

"There are a lot of great children's books, but I agree with you. One of my favorites has always been Green Eggs and Ham. I'm gonna go get ready for bed, and then I'll read another book tonight, too."

Bella smiles and nods at me as I walk to the bathroom. After changing and brushing my teeth, I make my way back to our room. When I walk in, I see that the lights are dimmed and Bella is lying on the comforter naked.

"Bella, I thought we were going to read to Lil Bean?"

"We can read more tomorrow. Right now, I would rather have you pay attention to me."

"Baby, you always have my attention," I say, pulling my shirt over my head.

"Pants, too," Bella says with a smile.

"Baby, are you sure you're up for this after the day we've had?"

"Yes, Edward, I need you. I need to be grounded by you, and to feel you surrounding me inside and out. Can we just be careful of my lip? It still hurts a little."

"Baby, I love you," I say, crawling in bed beside her after removing my pants.

"I love you, too, Edward," she says before moving to straddle my body.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well I know that some of you are slightly disappointed in how things went down. Jane didn't get to take her to the dungeon, but she did at least get shot. There are a few chapters yet to go to wrap things up all the way with a nice bow and all. Don't count us out yet, there still may be a few exciting things yet to happen.**

**I (Kasi) submitted a one-shot for an anonymous mix and match contest, so I urge you to go check out the entries in the next few days and hopefully you'll like mine and vote for me... but you're on your own to figure out what one is mine and man alive there are some awesome one-shots there. www . fanfiction u/ 4081613 / Twilight _Mix _N _Match _Contest (Just remove all the spaces.)**

**Nikky and I got our Forbidden Fruit anonymous one-shot back from the beta today, it will be submitted soon. Hope you go read those too. www . fanfiction u/ 4076435 / (Just remove all the spaces.) I will also post links on the Facebook page for both contests. **

**We want to hear your thoughts, Kasi (& Nikky)**


	31. Chapter 31

**As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT.**

**Special thanks go out to the group of ladies read, edit and give their time to help us. All mistakes in the final post copy are ours.**

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**Kasi & Nikky.**

**~HCV~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 31: Good Luck Masen Family<strong>

The weeks have passed quickly since Sue's arrest. At her initial bond hearing, the charges the district attorney stated were: twenty-five counts of assisting rape, fourteen counts of endangering a minor, sixteen counts of second degree murder, seven counts of attempted murder, three counts of kidnapping, six counts of attempted kidnapping, three counts of child abandonment, three counts of neglect, three counts of child abuse, eighty-three counts of fraud, one count of arson, one count of child slavery, one count of human trafficking, one count of attempted armed bank robbery, and of course, the charge of possession of an illegal firearm. Needless to say, the judge didn't even consider, let alone grant, her bail. Sue remains in the custody of the King County jail.

Matt had come by after court and told us the full story about what had happened at the Spring Ball. Sue got herself a job working for the Cameron's after hearing them speaking to Esme at the ball about remodeling their home. Esme had been talking to them about Bella painting the mural for them. She had also heard that they were looking for a cook, as theirs was on leave for an undetermined amount of time.

It's believed that Sue was merely playing with us the other times that she had shown up. She was also trying to see how Aro and his people worked. She was testing their abilities.

When Sue came by the college, she was there to access my email and account information. The reason that we didn't see her outside was because she was in my office, on my laptop, which I stupidly left open when I chased after her. She got into my email account and my bank account, not to mention the fact that she garnered a lot of other information. She copied all of it and transferred it over to a flash drive.

With that part of the plan accomplished, she moved on to the next phase. Sue really did her homework. She knew that the First National Bank of Seattle kept not only photos, but signature cards on file, so she couldn't just pass herself off as Bella. The bank also requests that you go to your personal branch when removing large sums of cash. Sue was aware that Mr. Harper knew both Bella and me personally.

Since she would have to take one of us with her, she chose Bella. Bella was physically weaker. Plus, I think Sue knew I would kill her if she came near me. She just had to make sure her plan was foolproof, and that was the tricky part.

The morning of the kidnapping, Sue made arrangements that the Cameron's would be called away at the last minute after confirming that Esme and Bella would be there working. At nine that morning, Sue sent the bank an email. She knew that the bank couldn't just hand over large amounts of cash without any warning, so she emailed them using my email account. As Mrs. Cameron was leaving, Sue told her of the refreshments she made for the visitors. Mrs. Cameron felt that Sue was a good worker; she had no reason to think otherwise. Sue served the drinks after Bella left the room to use the restroom. Alec, Jane, and Esme each had a glass of the drugged lemonade. Sue had spiked the drinks with high amounts of GHB.

When Bella came back in, it was too late, as both Jane and Alec already drank enough to knock them out. Esme, however, did not drink hers, dropping it instead. Sue improvised, and made Bella gag and tie Esme up before leaving with Bella at gunpoint, taking Esme's car. Jane was fast to recover, and woke fairly quickly. The doctors say that she didn't drink as much as Alec. Plus, it seems her body has high tolerance for the drug that was used.

During the car journey, Sue filled Bella in on what she was to say at the bank. She hoped that Mr. Harper would follow what was in the email and have the money ready and waiting for them. Sue had already booked a flight out of America. It's still unclear what she was planning to do with Bella.

Matt, who just happened to be at the bank on personal business, saw Bella and was, at first, going to ask her about the case. It was Bella's fast thinking that stopped him cold. He knew enough about her to not only see that she was scared, but very worried. He was clued in for sure when Bella looked at him with hope and asked how his 'honeymoon' went. It was the fact that he had never seen the woman Bella was with before, which got him really thinking. He was planning on leaving to call me, but he stayed near the bank in case Bella needed him. On his way out, he saw Jane, and knew she was a friend of ours. She had mouthed 'Sue' to him, which was enough to send him into action. He called it in as a kidnapping and bank robbery.

When Matt got outside, one of Aro's men, Stefan, met him and filled him in about what had happened at the Cameron's home. He then followed him around to the back of the bank. Stefan told Matt that he and his men would assist them in capturing Sue, and then informed him of the decoys Aro had already made inside the bank.

Matt gave Stefan full run on the switch, because he knew that this was the best answer at the time. The first of Aro's people were already in the bank, and filled Mr. Harper in on what was going down. Knowing that he had to remain in the bank to help deal with Bella and Sue, Mr. Harper was asked to escort the ladies away from everyone in the main part of the bank. This would move them away from the tellers and the actual customers still inside the bank.

Matt was back inside, and sitting near the table that Mr. Harper was going to lead Sue and Bella to. Sadly, the little boy and his toy made the well-worked out plan go a little off course. When Sue pulled her gun, Jane reacted immediately, knowing that she needed to draw Sue's attention. Understanding that the sight of guns would cause a panic, Jane was loud about it so that innocent people could take cover. It was the perfect distraction, and it allowed Matt and his team to get into place.

Jane saw Bella pick up the scissors while talking to Sue, so she shook her head imperceptibly, silently telling Bella to wait. Once Jane saw that all the pieces were in place, she gave Bella her signal to act. I'm just glad it all played out and Bella came out unscathed. Sue, on the other hand, had a bullet in her shoulder, and a long cut down her arm.

Sue and her court-appointed attorney begged for release, making a big production out of her pain. Despite the whole song and dance about her suffering and how the cramped confines of the jail were hindering her healing process, the judge denied her bail. Sue then tried to cut a deal with the district attorney, claiming that she had proof that Bella was a part of the whole thing.

That began days of questioning for Bella to be done downtown. I wasn't allowed in with her. However, Emmett, was able to be there as her lawyer. He shut down the questioning when it became too much for her to handle. After a week of incessant questions, the district attorney dismissed Sue allegations, claiming she clearly trumped up evidence that Bella was part of the whole plan. Bella was never charged, and all suspicion and accusations of her involvement were proven false after the investigation.

The last day of college and finals are done. All that's left for me to do is grade some make-up work and post the final grades in the computer. I'm able to spend a lot more time at home now, which I'm grateful for, since Bella has still been feeling quite sick. She received her acceptance letter yesterday, and after we talked it over, we decided that she will do the first semester – up until December break – on campus, and then after the holidays, she'll complete the rest of the courses online.

On top of it all, we're also in the middle of moving to our new home. The packing has been intense, and there is so much that we've had to do. After talking things over with Bella, we decided that it would be better just to redecorate and get new furnishings, rather than move what we already have.

Emmett wants to keep most of the things here, only replacing our personal items. He's also keeping Seth and Leah's rooms the way they are now for when they come to visit Uncle Emmie. Esme has already said that she'll be happy to redo the art room to make it into the perfect little boy bedroom for Cam. Emmett went out and bought a new bedroom set and office set for himself. He's planning to put the couch he has from Bella's old place in his office. Our new bedroom set will be in the master bedroom, and our old set will go in the guest room.

**~HCV~**

All the new furnishings and decorations were set up yesterday, so we are moving in today. The house is fully ours, and in both of our names. Seth and Leah have yet to see their new home, but they were allowed to tell Esme and Bella how they wanted their bedrooms decorated. I know Bella had fun painting the rooms, and she told me how excited she was to be doing it in our own home.

Seth has his own Cowboy bedroom again. It's on the second floor, along with a music room beside it. Bella painted the walls in a desert theme, with cacti and mountains. The coolest thing is that the bed looks like an old hitching post. Esme had it built from a design she'd drawn up. The music room has his... well our piano in it, along with his guitar, saxophone, drums, and violin. I even have a surprise waiting for him – we turned the en-suite into his own little recording studio. The contractors ripped out all traces of the bathroom, and soundproofed the small recording studio, filling it with all the necessary equipment.

Leah's bedroom is once more a princess room, with a touch of fairies and open sky. We chose the room on the other side of Seth's music room, which allows them some space, and yet they're close if they need each other. Bella painted her ceiling to give it a 'galaxy' look. She also put up twinkle lights that would look like stars. Esme designed a carriage style bed for Leah, and I know she will love it for years to come.

I still have my own office, and have purchased some of the pictures that Bella did for the church auction to hang up on the walls. I've also made sure to put up pictures of the whole family.

Bella has her art room, which she loves. There's also a dark room because Bella enjoys taking photos as well. I plan to teach her how to develop them once the baby comes.

Bean's bedroom will be across from ours. Bella was worried about Bean being too far away. So, after much discussion, we decided that for the first few months Bean will share our bedroom with us. I really don't mind at all. From talking with Bella, I know that she shared a room with the twins until they were two, and having her own baby in another room would be extremely upsetting for her. I'm just glad that she's talking to me about her worries. It shows that she has come such a long way.

The only other thing about the move that I'm worried about is that Bella will miss Emmett and Cam. We're both extremely happy to know that Emmett is doing much better, and that he seems to be at the point of starting to heal from the end of a long relationship and divorce. He's doing everything possible to be a great dad, and it shows in how well Cam is thriving. Over the past few months, Bella and Cam have developed a strong bond with each other. She even spent a lot of time teaching him how to say 'Dada.' When Cam said it for the first time, Emmett was so excited he had tears in his eyes.

We're all a little worried that Cam may believe that Bella is his mom and will really miss her when we move. Emmett was a little put off by the idea of Bella watching him now that she's pregnant, because he's worried about her health. He was going to put Cam into the Church daycare more often, but he and Bella talked it through, and he agreed that she could still watch Cam as long as she promised to let him know if and when it became too much. Bella also started making Cam's food, and is teaching Emmett how to do it, as well. I can't help but smile when I see them together. It's clear that Emmett cares deeply for Bella in a brotherly way. I know that he'll forever be grateful for everything that she's taught him about caring for Cam.

As if that isn't enough, we also have the court hearing in five days. I'm both excited and worried about it. We've received word that Sue is fighting my petition for full custody and the termination of her parental rights. Therefore, she will be present when we get there. Aro is attending as well and already has Jane, Felix, Alec, Demetri, and Santiago all lined up to go with us. I hope it goes smoothly, but after everything Sue has done, I'm prepared for anything.

"Where do you want these boxes, boss?" I look to the mover, who is holding up two large boxes. Those boxes hold the stuff Bella received from her grandfather and birth mother's estates. She hasn't opened them yet, but I know one day soon she'll have to.

"Take those to the top floor and put them in the master bedroom." He nods his head at me before moving off as I pick up another kitchen box and carry it inside.

When I walk in, I see some of the other movers standing in the kitchen doorway, watching something. I frown and move forward. As I do, I see that Bella is in the kitchen dancing to the music. She is so fucking sexy when she's dancing – her hips move so smoothly. Bella can really move her body, that's for sure. She's shaking her hips, working her way down the cabinet doors as she cleans them again. She has her back turned to us, and therefore has no idea that these fuckers are standing here watching her from the doorway. They're practically salivating all over her clean floor, fucking perverts.

"Fucking hell, look at those hips move. She must be a firecracker in bed." I bite back a growl as the other two nod their heads in agreement.

"Don't you have some boxes to move?" They all look at me with fear and shock, knowing they were caught red-handed. My voice must've been louder than I intended, because Bella turns around and looks at us.

"Do you all need a drink? I have some nice cold lemonade in the fridge."

All three of these cocky bastards look at me and smile before turn to Bella. "That would be great, sweet-doll."

I close my eyes and chant, 'can't kill the help... can't kill the help,' over and over in my head.

"Edward, are you alright?"

I feel Bella's hand touch my face and I give her a tight nod. I walk with the men into the kitchen and stay as Bella gets the drinks. She bends down at the waist to get the lemonade out of the cooler, and all of their eyes are glued to her ass. Bella's ass was sexy when I first met her, but now that she has put on a little weight with the pregnancy, it's even fucking hotter. She has an ass that all guys just want to bite and stick their cocks in. I know what all these fuckers are thinking about my girl. A look at each of them as they adjust themselves confirms it.

Can't kill the help... can't kill the help. My chanting starts all over again.

Bella gives them each a glass and then saunters over to me and kisses my lips before handing me my own glass. I smile at her and set it on the counter before pulling her into me. I kiss her deeply and hold her close, pouring a ton of passion into the kiss, just to show those perverted bastards who she's with. She is MINE, MINE, MINE, and mine alone! I... don't... share! I release Bella's lips when I feel the need to breathe, but start kissing and sucking at her neck.

"Edward?" Bella moans questioningly.

I stop, look her in the eye, and smile. "I love you, baby."

Bella smiles and kisses my lips lightly while whispering that she loves me, too. Before I know it, she turns around and begins cleaning again. I look over at the workers, who lose their cocky grins the moment I smirk at them. "Well, guys, I think you should get back to work now." I let out a sigh and kiss Bella before following them back out to the van. As we're walking to the moving truck, I divulge my thoughts to them. "By the way guys, she does have a very nice ass. It also happens to sleep naked next to me every night, and as much as I don't begrudge you checking it out, if I hear another rude or perverted comment, I'll let Aro know that you were disrespecting his daughter." I chuckle and keep walking as I see their faces pale.

With the five movers, Emmett, Jasper, Felix, Garrett, and me, the unloading goes quickly. I'm glad to see the workers packing away the last of their moving stuff. It takes them another ten minutes to leave after they're done, because Bella decided to make them all some muffins to take home. They were all smiling as they were leaving the house.

Carlisle and Esme are keeping Seth and Leah for us tonight so that Bella and I can get the last of the stuff sorted and put away. Once we finish, we retire to our new bedroom. I look to Bella's boxes and let out a sigh.

"Baby, don't you think we should take a look at this stuff?" Bella turns to look at me, frowning. "Baby, what's wrong? What's got you so worried about looking in here?"

Bella looks to the boxes and shrugs. "What if they didn't love me or forgot about me? I'm just scared that I'll find nothing linking me to them, and that they'll still be strangers." I pull her into my arms and give her a hug.

"I don't see how they could've forgotten you. From what Emmett found out, your grandfather tried to find you even from his death bed. Baby, they loved you very much. I know this is going to be hard on you, but I'm here for you."

Bella bites her lip and nods her head as she goes to the first box and sits down. I walk over, sitting behind her with my legs on each side of her body.

Bella opens the box, pulling out several different books. She opens the first one, and we see a picture of her as a baby. Slowly, she flips through the pages, stopping to stare at each picture. When she gets to one that appears to be her and her mother, she speaks for the first time. "She looks so much like me."

I kiss Bella's head silently as she flips to the next page. Renee, Bella's mother, is in a lot of the pictures with her, and it's easy to see when she started to get sick. Bella sets the album aside and picks up some loose photos. Each time she looks at one, she studies it carefully and then reads the information written on the back before passing it to me. After a while Bella freezes and starts to shake.

"Baby, what wrong?" I take the picture from her hand and look at it. It's a picture of Renee, Charlie, and Sue, so I turn the photo over to read what's on the back. 'Charlie, Charlie's sister, Sue, and me – 1992'. I let out another sigh. In the picture, Renee is looking right at Charlie, but with her being on the shorter side, Charlie towers over her. At first, it looks like he's looking down on her, but he's not – he's looking at Sue, who's looking back at him.

Bella takes the photo from me and puts it in the wastebasket. "Let's just throw that one away."

I kiss her head to show her my support. "If you're sure, baby."

She nods her head. "I have plenty of memories of them. I don't need any pictures to remind me."

Next, Bella picks up some of the paintings that Renee had left her in her will. "She was really good," Bella says, stroking her fingertips over the painting as I look at it. It's clear to see where Bella gets her gift from, but in my opinion, Bella has surpassed her mother's talent.

"She was very good, baby, but so are you."

Bella looks at me as she opens the top of the second box. Inside, there is some jewelry and a letter.

Bella slowly opens the letter and begins crying when she sees that it's a letter addressed for her – from Renee. The instructions on the front are to give Bella the letter on her eighteenth birthday. Bella is still crying as she hands it to me, asking through her tears for me to read it to her.

"My dear, precious, sweet, darling, baby girl,

Happy eighteenth birthday! I'm sorry I can't be there with you to celebrate it. I wish more than anything that I could be. It's with a heavy heart that I write this letter, knowing that I will be unable to be with you.

You are so young right now, and it scares me that I have to leave you so soon, but I know that you'll be brilliant at whatever you choose to do with your life. The trust fund I set up for you will allow you to go to any college you chose. You are so bright, and very artistic.

I know just from the way you rock your baby dolls, that you will be a loving parent one day when you have children of your own. I have found through experience that love is all that matters. Like many people, I let the actions of others cause me pain. Please know that the most important lesson in life is to forgive and move on. I've learned that we each carry within ourselves sufficient wisdom and love to heal our shattered hearts.

During the time of my illness, I have loved more deeply that I thought possible. My heart feels as if it will explode. I don't carry anger anymore, and I refuse to hate others for their ignorance and callousness. When a person is dying, it makes them think about a lot of things. The reason I wanted to write this letter is to share my most essential beliefs with you.

Life is how we endure, and devotion is how we live on. Having love and kindness for others will always take you further than hate and skepticism. Life is not about how long we live, but about how we live. Believe in yourself and your abilities, especially during challenging times. Have faith in your intuition, because your initial perception is usually accurate. I haven't lost in this life, because I've known unconditional love.

Develop a variety of acquaintances, and remember to treat them all fairly. Be truthful and genuine, and learn to identify these qualities in others. Be aware of the unkindness in others, but don't be absorbed by it. Don't let anyone stunt your carefree nature or your eagerness to learn what the world has to offer. I hope you seize the moment and let your radiance sparkle. Let harsh things roll off your back, and don't sweat the small stuff.

My sadness is in leaving you, not leaving this world. I'll miss holding you and comforting you. I'll miss you hugging me and telling me 'wuv do momma.' I'll miss seeing you off to school and watching everyday as you grow. I'll miss your first crush, your first date, your first love. And, it makes me sad to know I won't be able to comfort you during your first heartbreak. I'll miss your graduation, wedding, and the birth of your first child.

I have no sadness as my time comes to an end, apart from missing out on all the joy you'll bring to others in your life. Live today as if there is no tomorrow. Don't put off anything important. Don't waste your life by hating others – just move on. Above all, when you think of me, know that my spirit watches over you always, and that I'll love you forever, my sweet, darling, baby girl.

With all my love,

Renee, your momma."

There wasn't much else in the box, but I'm glad Bella got proof and pictures of how much Renee had loved and adored her. It showed us both that the first three years of her life were filled with support, love, and care.

**~HCV~**

We are scheduled to be in court tomorrow. Since it's the same day as my birthday, I have refused to do anything but celebrate us getting full custody of Seth and Leah. I'm only allowing myself to think positive thoughts. Bella has refused to let my twenty-ninth birthday go by without doing something, though. Seth and Leah soon joined in, and I lost the battle, so tonight, we're having a family dinner and everyone is going to be here. Bella decided that I should also receive my gifts from everyone tonight.

I watch her as she ensures that everyone has their drinks before she sits me in the middle of the group. Seth and Leah come up to me first. Seth hands me a small box, and Leah hands me two envelopes. I decide to open the envelopes before the box. The first envelope contains a certificate for being the 'best dad,' signed by both Seth and Leah. The second envelope holds a homemade birthday card from them. I whisper out an emotional thank you to them in their ears, before opening the box that Seth gave me.

When I open the box, I see that it contains a platinum necklace with dog-tag like disks of metal hanging from it. The first tag says 'Dad.' I look at the next one, which says 'Seth Masen' on it. As I turn it over, I see that the other side has his date of birth. The next dog-tag has 'Leah Masen' written on it, and again, the back has her date of birth. The last tag is blank, and I look up questioningly.

"It's for when Bean's born." I look up at Seth and Leah, and pull them both in for a hug before kissing their heads.

"Thank you, Little Man and Princess." I watch as they go back at sit down after we've shared a few more hugs.

Emmett hands me a really old bottle of whiskey for his present. Carlisle and Esme hand me a card that has tickets for the opera house enclosed. I look and see that the tickets are for The Phantom of the Opera. It's one of my favorite productions, and it's coming this fall. Aro and Zafrina give me a book all about the Kama Sutra, and a gift voucher for an adult shop. I raise my eyebrows at them, and Aro points to his mother as she rolls her eyes at me. Jasper and Alice were next. They hand me some CDs and movies. I smile at everyone and thank them.

"This is from me," Bella says, handing me a large package. I open it and see that she's given me another sketchbook. The front page says 'My Firsts' in very decorative lettering, and when I flip the page, I smile as I fight to hold back my tears. Inside are hand-drawn charcoal pictures of Seth and Leah. The entire book is filled with colorful pictures of their firsts, along with the dates they did them. It has everything from their first times rolling over and holding their heads up, to their first day of school. There is also a written memory on each page, describing the way they did each thing. I loved the page about their first words, and I smiled when I saw the picture of Leah's first steps as she was holding her brother's hand.

"There are these, too," Bella says, handing me two envelopes. I open the first and see a pair of plane tickets, reservations for a hotel, and concert tickets to attend a Chicago Symphony performance. I am dumbfounded and look to Bella in shock. "It's for you and Seth. Esme helped me book the flight and the hotel. You'll be away for two nights. I thought it would give you and Seth some guy time." I kiss her head and then open the second envelope, seeing more plane tickets amongst other things. Reading everything more closely, I see that it's a trip for two to Cape Canaveral to see the NASA facility and take a tour of their space program. "It's also for two nights, and everything is booked for you and Leah." I look at Bella, and then pull her toward me to thank her.

"These are the best gifts anyone has ever given me."

Bella bites her lip and leans in close to my ear. "I have another gift to give you, but it's for your eyes only. I want to give it to you this weekend when the twins are staying at Esme and Carlisle's," she whispers.

I nod my head and move my mouth to her ear. "I'm sure I will love it, whatever it is."

"Edward, can I speak with you for a moment?" I look at Esme, nodding my head, and then follow her as she walks to my office.

"Edward, I am so sorry..." I try to cut her off, but she shakes her head.

"No. I should've given these to you a long time ago, but I was worried that they would upset you more, so I kept them tucked away. When you found Bella, I wanted to give them to you, but we still weren't on great terms. Then we started sorting everything out but all of this other drama started. I was planning to tell you when you got back from your weekend away with the boys, but Harry messed that plan up. Then there was the whole Sue fiasco. Well, I just kept putting it off, waiting for the right time, but it never seemed to come." Esme stops speaking but sighs deeply as she looks at me, and I can see the worry plain as day on her face.

"Esme, just tell me what it is, please." As I'm speaking, she hands me a box. I open it to find almost all of my mom's jewelry inside. There are a few things I notice that are missing, but the most important pieces – the ones I've been wishing I had back the most – are all here. Not only are they here, but they appear to be in pristine condition. Without words, I run my fingers across the pieces I've lost sleep over – the ones I was constantly wishing I still had. My mom's necklace and engagement ring, and the wedding rings that my parents wore are all in the box.

"How – when?" I ask, looking at her.

"I'm sorry. I found out what you did and tracked the man down right away. I told him I wanted them all when I called him. And when I met with him, I really tried to get everything, but I was a little late. He had passed some of it on to another place, and by the time I got there, the pieces had already been sold. I bought everything I could, and recently added two of the broaches back to the set because I happened to come across them. I'm still looking out for the rest, because I want to make sure the sets are all complete again one day. There are still six pieces missing, but I promise I will do my best to find them."

I pull Esme into my arms and hug her as I hush her.

"Edward, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

I shake my head at her. "No, Esme. You were right not to tell me. I would've taken it the wrong way and gotten angry with you. Now that I have Bella, though, I'm glad that you were able to get them back." I don't really care that she's been keeping this stuff from me. The momentous thing is that I have what I've been wishing for back.

I place them in my safe in the office before walking Esme back out. I'm already formulating a plan to ask Bella to marry me. There are only a few weeks to go until the day that I ask her. The day that I have planned to ask her is special to me, so I know that I have to be patient and wait.

**~HCV~**

We are all at the county courthouse, and the day is dragging on and on. Sue has demanded that Seth and Leah be turned over to the Department of Children and Family Services, claiming that I am unfit to look after them. She's also still claiming that I've been having sex with Bella since before she was eighteen.

The kids are with us for the court hearing. The moment Sue starts ranting and raving, Bella stand up and demands that the judge remove Sue or the children. I'm in shock that Bella is being so demanding, but the judge agrees and has the bailiff escort Jane, Seth, and Leah to his chambers. Sue never shuts her mouth, and the judge charges her with contempt on three separate occasions.

Finally, after several hours and a short recess, we're back in the courtroom.

"I have listened to every word that has been said today, and it's clear to me who has the children's best interests in mind. In regards to the parental rights of Susanna Swan: this court finds just and ample cause to terminate said rights in regards to the minor children Seth Charles Swan and Leah Sue Swan. Therefore, I hereby grant full legal custody of Seth Charles Swan and Leah Sue Swan to Edward Masen and Isabella Swan. I also grant the request for the legal name changes of Seth Charles Swan and Leah Sue Swan to Seth Carlisle Masen and Leah Esme Masen."

I hear Esme and Carlisle gasp from behind us. They knew of our plans to change the twins' last name, but not the changing of their middle names.

"Hey, you stupid, incompetent asshole! Are you going to do your job? You were supposed to get the kids put in a foster home. I don't want him to look after them! Do your goddamn job and get those curtain climbers put into an orphanage!" Sue screams at her attorney, and then turns to the judge. "He's been sleeping with that little tramp since she was like ten, and now you're putting my little babies in his care?" Sue's lawyer tries to pull her back down into her seat as she continues to scream at him and the judge. She shakes him off her arm, though, and hits him in the face before a female guard comes up and restrains her.

"Ms. Swan, this is the last time I will remind you. This is a courtroom, and in it, you do not speak unless you are spoken to. I have no idea why you are even still here. My verdict has been read and the case is CLOSED!" the judge shouts as he bangs his gavel.

"You can't do this! You will pay for this, you rotten bastard!" Sue screams.

"Ms. Swan, you are a disgraceful human being. I don't like you, and I'm extremely unhappy that you were allowed to spill your obvious lies in my courtroom. While your petition to attend today and fight for these children is understandable, you are not and have never been a parent in any sense of the word to the twins or your stepdaughter. There is no evidence to support your claim that Mr. Masen ever did anything inappropriate with Miss Swan while she was a minor. As it stands, Mr. Masen has proven himself to be a good father to both of the children, even before it was known that they were, in FACT, his children. I have held this position for twenty years now, and I must admit that I have never come across a colder, more evil, heartless woman than you. I have also never come across a mother who put every need of her own above those of her children. You not only left two newborn infants without any parental support, but you left a thirteen-year-old child to care for them. Miss Isabella Swan has proven to me that there is an unconditional goodness in this world. I use the word 'mother' when speaking of her, because she is the only mother these children have known. You were nothing more than a delivery system for them – a means to an end. Now, remain quiet. Better yet, Bailiff – remove Ms. Swan from my courtroom. Ms. Swan, you are hereby banned from making any further appearances in this court. I have to admit, Ms. Swan, you are the first person ever to be banned from my courtroom. Court is adjourned," he states with another bang of his gavel.

We stand and make our way to the judge's quarters to collect our children. We both have full custody of the twins, and their names will legally be changed to Masen from this day forward.

"Goodbye, Masen family. I wish you the best of luck, but after meeting each of you, I'm sure you won't need it." The judge turns to enter his quarters as Seth, Leah, and Jane come out.

I smile at Bella and hug her close "That's it, baby. They're all ours. It's over, and Sue can never take them from us again." Bella tightens her grip on me.

"And I'll only have to see her one more time, right?" Bella looks at me as she asks, so I nod my head.

"Yes, baby. The district attorney thinks the trial will go quickly since they have a lot on her. After the hearing is over, you'll never have to see or be near her again." I watch as she lets out a heavy sigh. Harry and Sue's criminal trial is scheduled for the twenty-third of July, so it's just over a month away.

We all head out for dinner after leaving the courthouse. I know Bella loves Midnight Sun, but I want to take them somewhere different, so I choose a place I love to go to every now and then. We all sit down at the quaint little Italian place. I smile as I look at Seth, Leah, and Bella. They all look so happy, and more relaxed than I've seen them in a long time. I place our order and am thankful that Bella manages to eat a little more than what she has been eating, especially when she's able to keep it down.

This has definitely been the best birthday I've ever celebrated. For the first time since I can remember, I have something to make me happy on my birthday. Only this year, I have three... well, four reasons to be happy.

**~HCV~**

The weekend is here, and Bella and I are kid-free. She made us dinner, and is currently setting up our room for my last birthday gift. She told me that she had some help from Chas, so I'm really not sure what to expect. I have no idea what she has planned, but she told me I would love it.

I'm supposed to go to our bedroom after I get a text from her telling me to come up. As I wait, I start looking through the books from Midnight Sun. When my phone chimes with a text message, I quickly read it – it's Bella, and she's ready for me. I head upstairs and see a note taped to the door.

Edward,

Come on in and sit in your chair.

I love you,

Bella.

I open the door and my jaw drops. Right in front of my chair is a dancing pole. I sit down, feeling the tightness in my pants already, and I've yet to see my girl. I'm not sure if I should kill Chas or give her a hug. I see that there's a drink and another note on the end table by my chair, so I pick up the note.

Edward,

Chas told me that guys like their ladies to be erotic so, for the past month, she's been teaching me how to pole dance. She even showed me how to do lap dances. She says she doesn't think you've ever been to a place where they have pole dances or lap dances, but she assures me that you'll love this. I even got a special outfit that I think you're going to really like. This will be a first for both of us tonight, and I'm excited and ready whenever you are.

Just push play when you're ready for me.

Happy birthday, my love.

Your Baby Bella.

XOXO

I swallow hard and try to decide whether or not to let Bella do this. As I look around the room, though, I see just how much work she put into this, and I know it's something she wants to do. I close my eyes and press play. The room is suddenly filled with music, and I slowly open my eyes.

I watch Bella walk in wearing 'fuck me' heels. My eyes travel up her legs until I get to where my shirt is covering her. I take a deep breath before continuing up her body, and when I do, I can see that the shirt only has a few buttons fastened. Where it isn't buttoned, I can clearly see her skin. As she moves slightly, more of her skin is exposed to me, revealing the very small – but now noticeable when she's naked – baby bump. She moves her hands down and then back up her body and the shirt lifts slightly. Oh, Lord, she is waxed bare.

I look all the way up, and I see that her hair is down. I'm not sure if she styled it that way or what, but she looks like she's been well and truly fucked. I'm so hard that my cock is pulsing and throbbing in tune to the beat of the music. I watch as she swings her hips back and forth to the sounds of Hot in Here by Nelly. Of course, there are no big pole tricks, but the few times she does pull her legs up and wraps her small frame around the pole, it makes the issue in my pants that much more noticeable.

As the first song comes to a close, I hear the opening cords of Always With Me, Always With You by Joe Satriani start to play. I watch as she slides to the floor, and as the song strums through the speakers, she makes her way slowly across the room to me. Once in front of me, she climbs to her feet, and slowly unbuttons the shirt. As it falls open, she lets it drop to the floor. I'm always in awe of my girl, and I watch as her body sways to the slow erotic song. The fact that her body is singing the song with no words makes her seem that much more erotic. Straddling my lap, she grinds to the slow burn of the song, running her fingers through my hair and nipping at my skin with her teeth.

As the song comes to a close, she stands up, grabs the remote, and pushes pause on the iPod. "I don't normally sing, but Chas helped me record this song for you. She says it's a good song, even if it is country. Will you dance with me while I sing it to you tonight?" she asks, holding out her hand.

I stand up and pull my shirt over my head so I can feel her skin on mine as I hold her close to dance with her. "Of course, my love, I will always be your dance partner."

"This song is called Now That I Found You, by Terri Clark. The first time I heard it, I thought of you and how you've brought me to life."

I kiss her deeply and hold her in my arms. "That's where you're wrong, baby. You've brought me to life."

With a smile, she picks up the remote and pushes play. Now, I've heard my girl sing in church before, and I know she has a beautiful voice, but I've never really heard her sing by herself. As the song starts, she keeps her chin down a little. I'm sure she's nervous, but I tilt her chin up and smile at her. As her words come out and I listen to them, I'm struck by how much of her heart and soul she pours into the lyrics. Every word of the song seems like it was written just for us.

The song draws to a close, and I kiss her again. "Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard," I tell her, kissing her once more.

"I love you, Edward. You and the children are my life."

"You know, baby, they are our children – all three of them." I watch her as she bites her lip and nods her head.

"I want to make love to you, Bella," I whisper in her ear and watch the gooseflesh scale across her bare skin. The moan she makes as I begin kissing her neck and shoulder is followed closely by her nails digging in to the skin on my back. I pick her up and walk to our bed. Placing her on the mattress, I stand to remove the rest of my clothing.

"Please hurry, Edward. I need you so much."

When the final thread of my clothing finds the floor, I'm on the bed and hovering over her. Latching my mouth on to her left nipple, I run my fingers through her slick folds. "God, baby, you are dripping wet," I say before switching to her right nipple as I thrust a finger inside her.

I continue caressing her with my mouth as my fingers work her over and make her body tremble. Moving back to her mouth, I kiss her, taking in her moans as I thrust three fingers into her. Before long, her body arches off the bed and her teeth latch on to my neck. My cock is pulsating, and all but pleading with me to be inside her. Removing my hand, I settle myself between her parted legs. After running my hard length through her slick lips, I push the tip against her bundle of nerves. I can see the hunger in her eyes as I repeatedly run the head of my cock over her most sensitive nub. Once she starts to scream again in pleasure, I pull my hips back and quickly thrust into her tightness. The feel of her walls pulling me in farther, almost makes me lose my load right then and there. After calming myself, I manage to slowly make love to her, long enough to bring her over the edge again, but this time with me.

**~HCV~**

The last three weeks have been good – really good. We've all settled into our new homes. Cam misses Bella, and has started to call her 'Mama,' but we're all quick to correct him. We say, 'no, not mama, Bella.' All the times we corrected him have produced the new name he has for Bella– he calls her Ma-Bee. Bella isn't worried or upset by it, and Emmett has stopped correcting him all together.

Seth and Leah seem to enjoy spending time with Cam, too. In a way, they've been learning what it will be like once Lil' Bean comes along. I can see that Seth is starting to warm up to the idea more and more.

The twins even went to spend the night with Emmett a few times. Bella was all set to give him a list of do's and don'ts, but she changed her mind. She said that, for one, he wouldn't follow it, and secondly, maybe after filling them up with chocolate and soda, and having them swing from the ceilings, he would see for himself and learn a lesson. I chuckled as I walked her out of his house that night, understanding exactly what she meant. I made that same mistake when Bella was in the hospital at Christmastime, and it's something I'll never do again.

Seth and Leah have gone to Emmett's again tonight, so I'm taking my Bella Baby out to dinner. I drive her to Midnight Sun, and we walk in hand-in-hand. Katie is the hostess, and she glares at us, seemingly unhappy. I arch my brow, silently telling her that she needs to adjust her attitude. I also make a mental note to remind myself to speak to Taylor about letting her go as soon as I can. As we pass the podium, she thrusts menus out to us without saying a word. I grin and walk with Bella to our table.

Bella's a big fan of Eric's cooking, and so she'll eat just about anything on the menu. I take a minute to look over the selection of specials this week. As always, when I come in, Taylor waits on me himself.

"Well, hello there, Bossy Man and the beautiful Bella. What can I get for you this evening?"

"Hi, Taylor," Bella says with a smile. "Edward, will you order for me?" she asks, turning to me.

"Taylor, I think we'll both have the Grilled Filet Mignon with Whiskey Butter, and the Mâche Salad with Blood Oranges, Pistachios, and Pomegranate. Bring us a bottle of the Tua Rita 'Redigaff' 2008, also. And for dessert, I bet Bella would love to try Eric's Hungarian Chocolate Mousse Cake Bars." Bella smiles at me and nods her head at Taylor.

"Sweet Bella, would you like your dessert first?" Taylor asks.

"Nope. I want my meat first please," she says innocently. Thankfully I wasn't drinking anything when she said that. Taylor nods and makes his way to the kitchen, and I know that he was doing everything he could to keep from losing it.

"Edward, why did you order a whole bottle of wine?"

"Well, baby, I talked to Carlisle, and he said that you can have a small glass of wine with our meal. He assured me that a small amount of alcohol every once in a while will not hurt you or Lil' Bean. The wine I ordered will go extremely well with the steak," I explain.

Soon, our salads arrive, and I love the smile on Bella's face as she tastes it. Shortly after, our main course comes out, and I smile as I watch Bella practically devour her steak. We decide to take our dessert with us, and I sign the bill, leaving Taylor a hefty tip. Eric comes out and talks to Bella before we leave, and as always, he has a big smile for my girl. I'm so grateful to have such good employees who love and respect my baby.

As we get ready to leave, I pull Bella close to me. "I thought that after this, we could go for a walk. Is that alright?"

Bella nods her head in agreement. "I'd like that. It's been a long time since I walked anywhere, and I miss it." Bella gives me a little frown, and I chuckle at her.

"Baby, I know you miss it. Maybe we can start waking more often. The college is out, and I'm not teaching summer school this year, so we should be able to go for more walks. Just not too many, okay?" I look at her and raise my eyebrow.

"You're not doing summer school?" she questions, somewhat shocked.

I shake my head at her. "No. I told Marcus that I couldn't do it this year. I want to spend the summer with my family," I tell her, making her face light up.

"That's good. I'm glad we get more time together. I'm also glad that Seth and Leah like their new school. Everyone is so nice to them, and they both seem really happy." I glance at her, remembering the morning when we went to look around the school with the twins. They were able to see the entire school, and even got to meet their new teacher. Everyone we met that day was extremely pleasant. The teacher was informed of our family dynamics, and she seemed to be very understanding and nice about it all.

Pulling Bella closer beside me, we start to walk in the direction of the park. We keep our conversation light, and hold hands as we walk down the stairs. As I get to the bottom, I stop and pull Bella over a little and kneel by her feet.

"One year ago tonight was such a different time for me. I chased a group of guys, and slipped down these stairs, which caused me to have a panic attack. I felt alone, unloved, and closed off from most human contact and basic needs. I never knew just how alone I felt until that night. Before that day, I always told people that I was happy with the way my life was. The truth is that I was barely living. I was here in the world, but not part of it."

"I thought that I was going to die that night a year ago. I was afraid that I would die without ever really feeling loved or wanted. I thought my time on earth would end without me ever showing one special woman that she was my beloved queen. Everything around me was dark, and then there was a flash of light blinding me. I couldn't see anything but the light, and that terrified me, so I ran from it. It took me a long ass time, and I behaved like a jackass before I finally let that light in, but you, my beautiful light, forgave me."

"You've taught me how to live, how to be a part of the world. You've shown me that there can be unconditional love and unconditional goodness in others. Each time you helped me, you asked for nothing in return. At first, I was mean and cruel to you, and yet, when I needed your help, you were there again. I finally found a friend who I could trust besides the guys. In you, I found my best friend, a friend who in turn gave me her heart and took mine. You've cherished my heart and kept it safe, and you've shown me that I'm capable and worthy of being loved."

"Our friendship became more as you let me not only be a big part of your world, but of Seth and Leah's worlds, too. Again, more changes and challenges came our way, and through it all, I found my children – our children – and you were with me every step of the way. Then, a few months ago, you gave me yet another gift by conceiving my child – our Lil' Bean."

I place a kiss on her belly and stroke her sides with my thumbs. "I brought you here tonight to ask you to give me one last gift." I put my hand in my pocket and pull out the ring box that has been nestled there for hours. "I'm asking you to give me your hand. I promise you that, from this moment on, I will do everything in my power to make your dreams come true. I will love you with every beat of my heart. I will walk anywhere with you, anytime. You will always have my love, my support, and my faith. I promise to always put you and our children first. Will you, Isabella Marie Swan, make my dreams come true and become my wife? Will you tie yourself to me in every humanly way possible? Forever?"

As I look in her beautiful eyes, I see that the slight tears she's had throughout my speech have escalated into a full-blown, steady stream.

Bella nods her head and throws her arms around my neck. "Baby, you kind of need to answer me out loud."

"Ye... ee... ess!" Bella sobs into the skin of my neck.

I chuckle, pulling her closer to me. I know her extreme emotions are because of the pregnancy.

She pulls back from me and begins kissing me over and over, and between each kiss, she whispers the word 'yes.' After a minute, I hold her head and kiss her back deeply. Finally breaking our kiss, I smile at her. "Do you like the ring?"

Bella looks at me puzzled. "You got me a ring?"

I roll my eyes and nod my head. I should have known Bella wouldn't have even noticed or looked at the ring. "Yes, baby. It was my mother's," I say, holding it up and watching as she looks at it.

"It's so beautiful," she sighs as I slide the ring on her finger and then place a kiss right beside it. I pick her up and kiss her again on the mouth. When she moans into my mouth, I deepen the kiss, holding her around the waist with one hand while pushing the other hand into her hair.

I hear a rumbling sound just before the sky opens up and the rain pours down on us. I pull back, looking up as Bella does the same. We look at each other, and then back to the sky. I pull her in for another kiss, and then set her on her feet. "Shall we make a run for it?"

She nods her head, so I grab her hand and kiss it. I take off my jacket and hold it above Bella's head as we run through the park. When we get back to the car, we are both completely drenched. I give her my crooked grin and kiss her hard before letting her in the car. I run around to my side and toss my drenched jacket in the back. I look at Bella, and can see her holding back her laugh. I look her up and down with a smirk on my face. She looks sexy even though she's soaked to the bone, so I waggle my eyebrows at her, still smirking. We simultaneously let out the laugher we were holding.

"We better call Seth and Leah so we can tell them you said yes and wish them goodnight." I smile at her as I pull out my phone, and she nods her head at me. I dial the number and put my phone on speaker.

"Hey, guys! How's everything going?" Emmett sounds nervous.

Bella and I look at each other. "Emmett, is everything all right?" I question.

"Yeah, things are going fine, now! God – just... WOW! I never knew what candy could do to kids – it's just... wow! It's like caffeine or crack to them."

I shake my head at the same time Bella does. "Emmett, Bella told you a hundred times..." I hear him sigh, so I stop berating him.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry... never again. You wanna speak to them?"

I roll my eyes even though he can't see it. "Yes, that would be good. Can you put them on speakerphone?" We hear him moving around.

"Hello. You're on speakerphone," I hear Emmett say and I smile at Bella.

"Hey, guys! Are the two of you giving Uncle Emmie a hard time?" I smile at Bella as she asks.

"Us?" Leah says questioningly.

"NO!" Seth says at the same time, and then we hear them both laugh.

"He gave us lots of candy, and we've been pretending that we've gone to the moon," Leah explains.

"It was fun, and he let us jump on the beds," Seth adds.

Bella's eyes widen, making me chuckle. She takes a deep breath and shakes her head, but her expression is one of happiness.

"Are you sure that was all right?" Bella's question is met with silence on the other side.

"Yeah, Little Bit, it was cool. Even I love jumping on the bed," Emmett says.

"Yeah, and Emmett told us that he's going to buy us a trampoline," Seth adds.

"Dad, did you ask her?" Leah voice sounds a little worried, and I smile as I grab Bella's hand.

"I sure did, Princess, and she said yes!" As soon as the words leave my mouth, I hear the twins squeal.

"Seth, Leah! Cam should already be sleeping, so please use your indoor voices." I smirk at Bella, and almost right away the twins seem to quiet down.

"Eh... yes to what, exactly? What am I missing?"

Before I can say anything, Seth and Leah answer Emmett's question. "Dad asked Bella to be his wife, and she said yes!" They still sound excited, but are a lot quieter than the last time.

"Really? Wow! Congratulations, both of you. Edward, you've certainly found the best of all women out there. I'm proud of you. Bella, you can do better than Edward, though. Just remember... I'm available now." I roll my eyes at is joke.

"Seth and Leah, I love you both lots. We'll see you tomorrow, okay? Oh, and Emmett? I have nothing to say to you besides goodbye." Bella chuckles as she hangs up the phone.

We arrive back at the house, and I pick Bella up bridal-style, making her look at me questioningly.

"What? I need to practice." I grin at her and start kissing her as we walk through the door. Bella moves her body around and wraps her legs around me, pushing her hands through my hair.

Pulling back just enough to speak, I look at her and smile. "Do you want to stay up for a while and watch a movie?"

"No. I want you to take me to bed, but we aren't going to sleep yet," she replies with a smirk of her own.

"Bella Baby, I love you," I say as I rush up the stairs with her in my arms. I have no intention of letting her sleep for a while, so I'm glad to know that she's game.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well a lot of things happened in this chapter and we have had some people asking if Sue had a helper or not. The info on who Sue's helper or helpers were will come out soon. Did you like the proposal? Was it all you hoped it would be? Did Sue's courtroom behavior shock you? How do you think court will go when Sue is tried for her charges? We know that normal court hearings such as Sue's charges would take forever to get a hearing for, however Sue's hearing will be coming soon!**

**There are two anonymous contests running right now that Nikky and I have entered. One I entered on my own it is the MIX and MATCH contest, and there is a link on our author page for the contest. I can't say what story is mine, but the pairing I made is quite different. Then Nikky and I entered the Taste of the Forbidden Contest together, and again the link is on our author profile page. We hope that you will go check out the stories and vote for your favorites in both contests. Go read and check them out, please.**

**If the reviews replies for this chapter go slow at first, don't be surprised, Kasi is moving this week/weekend. Thanks everyone, and I am working on the review reply for this chapter and TEASER for chapter 32 right now... oh and Chapter 32 is titled: Getting the Answers... Could be interesting... Oh heck who am I kidding, you'll wanna read it. Kasi (&Nikky)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: As always all things Twilight related are the sole property of Stephenie Meyer, the plot and storyline within this story are the sole property of WeeKittyAndTAT. **

**Special thanks to the wonderful set of gals who keep us readable.**

**~HCV~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 32: Getting the Answers<strong>

I wake up to find Bella wrapped around me, still naked. I smile as I run my hand down her back and kiss her head as she begins to rub herself against me. Holding her close to me, I roll onto my back and pull her on top of me, moving us around enough to open her legs to me. I chuckle as her hand travels down my chest, grabs my cock, and begins stroking me.

Lifting her head off my chest, she smiles up at me. "Morning," she says.

I wiggle my eyebrows at her. "Morning, baby. How would you like to take a shower with me?" I see her biting her lip and nodding her head, so I quickly jump out of bed, throw her over my shoulder, and head to our bathroom.

I put her down on the floor and she smiles at me as I trail my hands down her back to cup her ass. "Baby, you have the nicest, sexiest ass I've ever seen."

"Well, I think yours is pretty sexy, too," she purrs.

I turn on the shower to let the water warm up. I love the new shower; it's huge, and perfect with all the jet sprayers and the constant rainfall from above. I place some towels on the warming rack, and when I'm done, I take Bella's hand and we enter the shower together. I wash her hair and spend extra time rubbing the conditioner through her strands. Once I'm done with her hair, she turns to face me. I smile when she motions for me to kneel down so she can wash my hair, too. I comply, and can't help but moan when her nails scrape across my scalp. As soon as she's done rinsing my hair, I move her body against the wall of the shower and lift her right leg.

After placing her leg over my shoulder, I swipe my tongue through her folds. Pushing two fingers into her, I continue my assault on her bundle of nerves. Her mewling sounds echo around us as I make her body tremble from her release.

Standing up, I hook her leg over my elbow and lean her upper body against the wall. In one swift movement, I'm buried balls deep inside her wet heat. Her arms hook around my shoulders and her mouth latches onto my neck. Her nails scratch my back and scalp, and her mouth only stops sucking my skin to allow her pant and moan. As we both get closer to our climaxes, I move us to the built-in bench. I ease out of her, sit her on the ledge, and then move to my knees. With her legs open, I scoot her to the very edge and slide back inside of her, rubbing her clit as I pump into her, making both of us fall over the brink of ecstasy.

Once we finish washing up, I hold her close and kiss her more. With tender touches and light kisses, I smile at the sigh that leaves her lips. "Was that a sigh of frustration or contentment?"

"I feel so loved and happy. So I guess I'd have to say contentment," she says, turning and smiling at me.

"I love you, baby," I whisper in her ear.

"I love you, too," she mumbles into my neck where she places an open-mouthed kiss.

"Come on, baby. Let's get out and get dressed. It's time to go and pick-up Seth and Leah."

Bella smiles at me as she nods her head. "I wonder if Emmett survived the night," she says questioningly.

I chuckle, knowing that he more than likely joined them in playing. So, only God knows how the house will look when we get there. I kiss her hand, helping her from the shower and wrapping her in a towel.

Before I know it, we're dressed and walking to the car. I help her in and close the door gently behind her.

As I drive off, I lose myself to my thoughts of Bella. She really should have her own car, which means she'll need to learn how to drive. I can't help but smile at some of the dirty thoughts I get about different ways I can teach her how to drive.

We walk into Emmett's house hand-in-hand, and both our jaws hit the floor. There, in the middle of the living room, is a fort made from boxes.

"Emmett! Seth! Leah!" I call out. Suddenly, three heads pop up simultaneously. Emmett is wearing an Indian headdress, Leah has on a crown, and Seth is wearing a cowboy hat.

"Howdy, there," Seth says in his best Old West accent.

Bella and I turn to look at each other before laughing. "What's going on here?" I ask through my chuckles.

"Well, ya see, we're rescuing Princess Leah from the evil Sheriff Cam," Seth says with a twang and a big smile.

I shake my head at them. "I take it you had a good time then?" Surprisingly, all three of them nod their heads at us.

We all walk into the kitchen together a few minutes later. "Can I see your ring, Bella?"

Bella smiles at Leah and nods her head before showing Leah her hand.

"Wow! It's so pretty," Leah coos. "You have to see it, Seth! It's so pretty and sparkly," Leah tells her brother.

Seth makes a face and shakes his head. "Would you like to see the ring, Seth?" He gives Bella a look as she moves her hand over by him, but his eyes light up when he sees the ring.

"Leah, you think everything that sparkles besides the sun is pretty," Seth huffs.

I chuckle as Leah sticks her tongue out at him in response.

"Well, I should say congratulations to both of you again. You did good, Edward, and you better take care of our girl here. I won't hesitate to kick your ass if you hurt her."

I smile back at Emmett and clap him on the shoulder as we watch Seth and Leah drag Bella over to see Cam. "No worries, my friend. I won't ever hurt her. I honestly can't believe that someone as good and as beautiful as Bella wants and loves me. I'm one lucky son-of-a-bitch."

Emmett shakes his head. "Nah, man, you are so perfect for her. She couldn't have picked a better man than you to marry." He grins at me and wiggles his eyebrows. "Well, aside from me, that is." He quickly changes his tune when I give him the evil eye. "Jeez, Ed! I was just pulling your chain. You know Bella is like a little sister to me. I love her and the kids so much. They're all wonderful, and they bring out the best in you. And everything she's done for me and Cam? It really touches my heart," he chokes up slightly. "I mean, I don't know what I would've done if it wasn't for the two of you. If I ever find another woman to love, I'll be damn lucky if she's half as good as Bella."

I follow Emmett's gaze and smile when I see Bella with Cam in her arms. She seems to not only be juggling him while cooking, but talking to Seth and Leah, too. She makes it all look so easy. The way she's moving around and still entertaining the children is amazing to me. And, of course, Cam is chuckling away at whatever she is saying to him.

"Emmett, you're a good guy. I'm sure you'll find your one true love, and when you do, she'll love you unconditionally. Besides, Bella and I will always be here for you and Cam. You should know by now that she loves him very much."

Emmett sniffs and shakes his head a little. "All right, I think that's enough of the heavy and lovey-dovey stuff. Let's get in there and help her. We need to keep up our strong male personas."

I chuckle, nodding my head at him as we walk in the kitchen.

After we feed everyone and clean up, we collect the twins and head off to make our announcement. We decided to go tell everyone in person, so we're off to everyone's homes to let them know our news. Everyone is pleased and happy for us.

**~HCV~**

Bella's in the shower and the twins are in bed. I lock up the house as I go over everything from earlier in my mind. There was some mild shock when Bella and I told everyone we plan to get married on the eleventh of August. Esme said it only gave us a year and month to plan, but then we corrected her quickly, explaining that we meant this year, not next. It took Carlisle fifteen minutes to calm her down after that.

It only gives us a little over a month to get everything planned, but it will also give us two weeks before school starts up again for me and the twins. It's nice that their school and the college are scheduled to start the same week.

Esme, Zafrina, Chas, and Alice, are beginning to get things ready. We're planning to get married in the church that Bella, the children and I attend. After the wedding, we're going to have a dinner and dance at Midnight Sun. It was Bella and the twins' idea. They all love the restaurant so much that they insist it needs to be a part of the celebration. If I'm being honest, that's where I'd like to have it, too. I've already made plans and contacted Taylor to let him know he needed to post a sign saying that Midnight Sun would be closed for business that day.

We've also made a list of everyone we want there. The restaurant can seat two hundred and twenty-five at capacity. We've chosen to keep things smaller, though. Not everyone who attends the ceremony will go to the reception, but we're planning on around one hundred and fifty.

We also talked about who will stand with us. I've asked Seth to be my Best Man, and for groomsmen we decided on Emmett, Jasper, and Taylor. Bella has chosen Leah as her Maid of Honor. She also picked three bridesmaids: Lucy, because she saved the twins from the car fire; Alice, because Bella wants her to feel like she's a part of the family; and Sally, because she was the first of Aro's girls to befriend her.

When I make my way to our room, I hear the water shutting off. I walk in the bathroom and start to brush my teeth. I showered earlier after the twins and I went for a swim. I smile at Bella when she gives me her shy smile as she dries off next to me. When I finish my nightly routine, I look over and see Bella brushing out her hair. I move behind her and take the brush.

"Let me, baby," I whisper to her, watching as she nods her head.

I brush her hair, placing light kisses in it as I do. When I'm done, I braid the back in a loose braid so that it doesn't tangle while she sleeps. I kiss her neck and smile at her in the mirror, but notice the slight frown on her face.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"Edward, what about the whole 'giving me away' part? I mean, is it that important? Because I don't have a dad to do that for me."

I look at her closely, and can see she's sad about the fact she doesn't have a father to give her away. I grin to myself when an idea pops in my head. "Baby, what about Aro? He loves you very much, and I'm sure he would love to walk you down the aisle and give you away."

She looks at me with such hope and happiness that it makes me smile even more. "You really think he'd do it?" I nod my head at her, and she jumps up in my arms. "Oh, I should go and call him and ask him right now! Yes, that's what I need to do. Okay, yeah... I'll go do that," she says, scrambling back out of my arms. She runs out the room, only to run back in again. "No, I should go and ask him in person," she says, moving to the dresser to start getting dressed.

"Baby," I say loudly, trying to get her attention. I chuckle when she keeps going, but I finally move to her and place my hand on her back. "Baby, stop," I say, getting her attention. She stops and turns to look at me. "Baby, it's late. I'm sure that he and Sulpicia have already gone to bed for the night. Let's wait until morning, and then we can go over and ask him."

She looks around herself and shakes her head. "Sorry... I got a little silly, didn't I?"

I kiss her lips as I help her undress. "Not at all, baby. It's all part of the excitement of the wedding. Now, shall we go to bed?" I ask as I pull her with me to our bed.

**~HCV~**

We drive over to Aro's, and Bella is bouncing in her seat the entire way. She keeps smiling at me, and I can't help but chuckle as I shake my head. Last night, after some fun, we started talking about the wedding again. The more we talk about it, the more I'm looking forward to it. I've already booked our honeymoon, and Bella pouted when I wouldn't tell her where we were going. I want the whole week we're away to be a surprise for her. I pull into Aro's driveway and see Felix coming towards us.

He opens Bella's door and pouts at her. "So, now you're getting married? Here I had my heart set on us tying the knot someday. Now who will I marry?"

I roll my eyes and shake my head at him; he really should take that shit to Broadway. "You can marry me, Felix!" I raise my eyebrows at Leah as she smiles at Felix.

He scoops her up in to a big bear hug and grins at her. "Well, my fair little maiden, I would love that, but I'm afraid your father would kill me–or worse–get Jane to do it for him."

I chuckle, because he whispered Jane's name and looked around, almost as if he was checking to see if she is looming nearby.

He walks us in the house with a smile on his face. "Well, Leah and Seth, Sammy is here for a visit and is playing in the game room. Would you like to join him?" They both look to us, so Bella and I nod our heads. The second we do, they walk quickly off to find their friend.

"Let me just say congratulations to both of you. You're really perfect for each other. Aro's in his office, so go on in. I'm going to hang with the kidlets for a while." Felix shakes my hand and gives Bella a wink before heading off to find his charges.

"Isabella, Edward. Welcome!" Aro says as we walk into his office.

I smile because Bella is fidgety and waves her hand really fast, like she's had too much coffee. "Will you give me away at our wedding?" I chuckle as Bella blurts out her question rapidly. Aro is silent, so Bella continues on. "I mean, Edward and I were talking about the wedding, and we thought that you could give me away. Well, Edward suggested it, anyway. And, well... it's just... well, you've done so much for me, and I will always love you... and well, I... I'd be so grateful if you'd consider it. I really don't know where we would be if weren't for you, and neither would Edward, because you look after him, too, in your own way." Bella begins crying as she speaks to Aro.

I can see just how much her words have touched him, and I'm not at all surprised when he jumps up and pulls Bella into his arms. "Isabella, my sweet child, I love you. I would be extremely honored and proud to walk you down the aisle the day that you marry your true love. I could never imagine gifting your hand to a better man than Edward. But make no mistake, mia ragazza, I'll never give you away. You'll always be in my life, and I'll always protect all of you"

Bella hugs him tighter and then lets him go as she sobs out a 'thank you' before hugging him again. After calming down, she releases him from her hug and moves to my side. Kissing my lips, she gives me a big smile while I wipe away the small tears still running down her cheeks. "I'm going to say hello to Sulpicia and Sammy." I nod my head at her and watch as she walks out of the room.

I turn just in time to see Aro wipe the tears from his eyes. "I meant everything I said to Isabella."

I nod my head at him. "Why do you still call her Isabella?" I ask him. It's something I've been meaning to ask for a while now. Both he and his mother are really the only ones who call her that, now.

He looks at me and smiles. "It's a good Italian name. You know, I've asked her before if she would like me to call her Bella, but I think she knows that I like her full name, so she told me that I could still call her that. Anyway, almost everyone calls her Bella, now. And I know you have a nickname for her. Calling her Isabella is special for me, and if I could just get my mother to call her Bella like everyone else, then I would have a name that I, alone, call her."

I nod my head and can't help but chuckle. His mother is the most stubborn person on earth. He confirms my thoughts by muttering about how obstinate and pigheaded she is.

"I wanted to let you know that I'm going away with Seth this weekend, and then with Leah next weekend. I wanted to know if... Well, would you keep an eye on Bella for me?"

He nods his head. "Jane is already planning to stay over this weekend, and I think they're going dress shopping with Esme and the rest of the group for the wedding. I think the following weekend is still being planned, but Jane will be there no matter what's going on."

I smile at him sincerely. I'm glad that Bella will have Jane to keep her company, and make sure she's safe. Even though Jane's not a wedding kind of person, she's still helping Bella out as much as she can.

Aro and I talk about different things as we make our way to the game room. Bella, the twins, and I end up staying for dinner at Aro's request. As I watch Bella talking with Aro, I can't help but smile. Especially when he tells her he's already planning his big fatherly speech for the wedding. I don't know who's more excited about the wedding, now - us or Aro.

**~HCV~**

The weekend is here, and Seth and I are heading to Chicago. Once we have our bags packed, Esme drives us all to the airport so that Leah and Bella can say goodbye. Seth and I wave to them as we pass through security, and I let out a sigh when I see both my girls crying, just because they think we're out of sight.

"I can't wait to get there! It's going to be amazing."

I look down at Seth and smile, nodding my head in agreement. "I think it will be, too. I've never been to a symphony before, so this is something new for me, too. I'm glad that I get to share it with you."

He gives me his crooked grin. "Grandma says that your dad was really good with music, and was in a lot of these."

I nod my head at him. "Yes, he was, but I was too young to go. Sadly, he died before I could ever hear him play. You seem to have his gift, though. It all comes very naturally for you." Seth and I talk more about my father and other things during the flight. As we make our way to the hotel, I smile at the pure happiness this trip is giving him.

"So, Seth... what would you like to do tonight?" Seth looks around the hotel room and grins happily. "Let's watch baseball and eat pizza!" I chuckle at him and the serious look on his face. "It'll be better with just us, because when we watch at home, we need to explain it to Bella, not to mention listen to Leah talking about how cute the players are and which one she's going to marry. I think she does that so you'll turn it off."

I chuckle at his comment, because I've been thinking the same thing the last few times, too.

We eat pizza, and shout and cheer at the TV during the baseball game. Shortly after Seth's normal bed time, he falls asleep, so I carry him to his bed before going back to the living room to call Bella.

"Hey, baby. How are you?" I hear her sigh as I ask.

"I'm good. Leah picked her dress, and she looks real pretty in it. Alice and Sally seem to have come to a compromise over what dress they both like, too."

I chuckle, because those two girls together are scary when they argue. "What about you, baby? Did you find one?" I hear her let out a strange noise, so I ask her a different question. "What does that little sound mean?"

"Well, I couldn't find anything... not even one... that I liked. Then Zafrina talked to me. She has this beautiful wedding dress that's been in her family for a long time, and when she showed it to me, everyone said my face lit up. So Zafrina said that I could wear it, but..." she huffs, which makes me frown.

"But what, baby?"

Again Bella lets out a soft sigh. "It's really beautiful and... I don't want to ruin it. I'd like it if were more full, and I worry that it will be ruined if I have alterations done to it."

I rub my face and smile, knowing this is nothing to stress over. "Baby, is that what you're worrying about?" I don't hear anything coming from the other end. "Baby, you know we're on the phone and I can't see you shake your head."

I hear her gasp. "Then how do you know I was shaking my head?"

I chuckle at her shocked voice. "I know you pretty well, my love. Now tell me. What is it that's worrying you?"

I hear her sniffle. "I tried it on, and everyone said it was prefect and that I look beautiful in it. They all said everything is a go. So, well... I'm just scared that – well, I have the perfect guy that loves me, and I love him."

"Very much, baby," I quickly say to reassure her.

"We have the perfect family, home, extended family and friends. Our bills are paid, we don't have to struggle, and the children have everything they've ever dreamed of. The wedding plans are going well, and everything just sounds so prefect. I just worry that something is going to go wrong."

I shake my head, understanding her completely because I, too, have felt this way. I also understand that she's never had so many things fall into place for her, and it's hard to trust that happiness. "Baby, please listen to me. I know how you're feeling, but nothing will go wrong at the wedding. Our wedding will not be huge, and with this short of notice, a few of the people we want there may have to decline because they have prior engagements. If Zafrina wants you to wear the dress, and she knows that alterations have to be made, then she's okay with that. Don't worry. I'm positive that Zafrina would allow any daughter or granddaughter of hers to alter that dress if she were lending it to them. Maybe someday, way down the road – way, way down the road – Leah will wear that dress and alter it as well. Now I promise, nothing will take away our prefect day or hurt our family. Sue can no longer hurt you, the twins, or me. Please, baby, I swear if it bothers you that much, we can have a duplicate dress made to match it. Any dress that makes you comfortable at our wedding is what you need to wear. I want this to be our day."

I hear her chuckle. "What if I didn't want to wear a dress at all?"

The image of Bella marrying me naked flies through my brain and I let out a growl. "Baby, I wouldn't mind that, but I wouldn't let any guests in at all. Not to mention, I don't think we would end up married. I would end up taking you away and having my way with you, and would never let you go."

She chuckles again. "I'll tell Zafrina that I'll wear the dress. Thank you, Edward."

I smile at my phone. "So tell me, what else have you been doing?"

**~HCV~**

Seth and I spent the next day sightseeing before heading off to the symphony. Seth sat glued to his seat, never even uttering a word throughout the whole thing. I could clearly see on his face how much he was enjoying it. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, Seth was sound asleep. I carried him to bed and changed him into pajamas before calling Bella again. I told her about our night and, before long, I was falling asleep myself.

This morning, we decide to go to Navy Pier. We spend some time walking around the shops and checking out all the different souvenirs they have to offer. I smile as Seth takes a while to pick out something for everyone back home. I especially love the little shirt he picks out for Cam. It says: 'Daddy's Little Wingman – Navy Pier – Chicago'. After we've gotten gifts for everyone, we eat lunch at Bubba Gump's.

We ride the carousel, Ferris wheel, and the swings. To end our day out at Navy Pier, we go on a boat tour of the city. "Dad, this is really the coolest thing I've ever seen. I think that someday we should bring Leah and m... Bella here, too, and ride the rides, go on the boats, and walk through the shops."

I say nothing of his near slip, but personally think that he was going to call Bella 'Mom.' I know someday soon we'll need to talk about this more, especially with Lil' Bean on the way. I tousle my son's hair as we lug our bags of gifts back to the hotel room. We pack up our suitcases and stow away all our loot. After getting our pajamas on, we call Bella and wish her a good night. We will be on a flight out of Chicago before she's even awake in the morning.

**~HCV~**

After getting home, we spent the rest of the week making wedding plans. All the invitations are done, showing Carlisle and Esme as my parents, and Aro and Zafrina as Bella's, and of course, Seth and Leah are mentioned, too. We all chuckle, because Jane keeps saying that people will think Aro and Zafrina are married. The look of horror on Aro's face is hilarious. The invites actually read: 'Seth and Leah Masen, Aro and Zafrina Volturi, and Carlisle and Esme Cullen proudly invite you to the wedding of Isabella Marie Swan and Edward Anthony Masen'.

**~HCV~**

Right now, Leah and I are on our way to NASA. We arrived in Florida yesterday, and spent the day sightseeing. I watch her bounce in her seat as we pull up to the building. She reminds me so much of Bella.

"Leah, before we get out, you need to keep hold of my hand the entire time we're here. There are a lot of people, and I know you're excited, but please — for my sanity — do not run off."

She looks at me like I'm silly. "Sure, dad," she says with a smile before she kisses my cheek.

I chuckle and open my door, then walk around to hers. "Let's go check out where you'll work in the future, Princess."

She giggles and takes my hand. "I'm still young, Daddy. I may decide to do something else when I'm older."

I smile down at her and lightly squeeze her hand. "You can do and be anything your heart desires when you're older, but you'll always be my Princess."

When we walk in, I pick up our visitor badges, and then we wait for the tour guide to come. Normally, the groups are much larger for the guides, but we have a private tour booked today. The one-on-one atmosphere will make this a better learning experience.

As we walk around, it's easy to see that Leah is in her element. She answers the guide's questions with ease, and seems to know a lot more than I thought she did. Whether she admits it or not, it's clear that, right now, this is her dream job. Even the guide seems impressed by her vast knowledge. We spend quite a bit of money in the gift shop buying several different things, not only as gifts for everyone else, but for Leah to add to her own collection. As we leave, I pick up pamphlets about the Space Camp program.

I take her out for dinner, and she continues discussing the things we saw today. I have to chuckle at the way she talks about it. I swear I've heard the word NASA more than a hundred times since we left earlier.

Changing the subject, I ask her about tomorrow. "What would you like to do tomorrow before we head home?"

She looks at me, biting her lip much like Bella does. This whole trip, I've watched Leah's mannerisms. She may look a bit like Sue, but she behaves very much like Bella. "I think we should get Bella something nice, because she didn't get a weekend away." I look at her and smile, nodding my head.

"Dad?" Leah has set down her fork, and looks very serious.

"Yeah, Princess?"

She looks up at me. "Can we do this again? I don't mean NASA. I mean this. You know... where I spend time with just you and time with just me and Bella? I've really enjoyed the last two weekends."

I stop to think and smile. I know Bella enjoyed the one-on-one time, too, so I nod my head at her. "I think we could work something out, Princess. I want you to know that I've really enjoyed this time alone with you, as well." She smiles at me and begins eating again.

**~HCV~**

The week has gone by fast, and everyone is back to worrying now that Sue's court case is set to begin on Monday. Bella has been quieter these last few days, too. I know that she's worried about having to see Sue again, even though I've told her that I will keep her safe. Lucy is going to stay at our house and look after the twins while we're at the courthouse. She's even going to keep an eye on Cam. It seems that Cam has won over Lucy's heart and has a new life-long friend. Even Emmett seems to be speaking to Lucy a bit more than he did last week.

I look up as I see Bella coming in. "Edward, I wanted to ask you something."

I open up my arms for her, and when I do, she comes and sits on my lap. "What's up, baby?"

She plays with my hair before answering. "I was thinking that maybe if I could... I mean, I would like to see her before she goes to prison – you know, at the end?" I look at her in shock. "I talked to Jasper, and he said that we could use a room where she wouldn't be able to touch me. He says they have bulletproof glass that would separate us, and I just really think..."

I don't let her say anymore. "No. No way. Nu-uh, no. Not going to happen. You're not going to be in a room with her. It's bad enough that you need to be in court with her. I won't allow it." I grip my hair and get up, placing her in my chair before I start pacing. I can't believe she wants to see her and that Jasper told her it's okay... that fucker! "Wait a minute. You talked to Jasper about this?"

She nods her head at me. "Edward, I need to see her. Please don't fight me on this. I need you to understand."

I look at her, raising my brow. "She abused you. She almost killed you. She put Lil' Bean in jeopardy, and now you want to sit in a room with her?"

Bella looks back at my sadly. "Jasper said it could help me."

I shake my head at her. "Did he really? Well, I think that I should have a word with Jasper, then," I say, grabbing my keys and storming out of the house.

I can't believe that Jasper would think this a good idea. Fuck! I've read what the bitch did to her. I know for a fact that Sue won't play nice. Bella will be hurt by her words and, more than likely, she will stress herself out over what the bitch says to her. I drive to Jasper's, ranting out loud inside my car the whole way. I'm sure most of the people in the other cars think I'm off my rocker. Well, maybe they're on to something. I am on my way to see a shrink, after all.

I bang on his door loudly. "Edward, what's going on?" I growl at him and he stops talking. "Ah, she told you."

I growl again, even showing some teeth this time. He waves me in, and I see Alice looking at me with a frown on her face. As soon as we're in his home office and the door closes, I lose it. "What in the name of God did you think you were doing telling Bella it was a good idea to see that fucking bitch? Why or how could it ever be healthy for Bella to talk to her? Have you any idea what that fucking bitch will say to her? Fuck! Bella just started to understand what that bitch said to her over the years wasn't true. Not to mention the things she did. The way she treated her was wrong. You're supposed to be helping me keep her safe! She's pregnant, Jasper. Fuck! This could really stress her out, and I don't want her hurt." I plop down on his sofa, the anger coursing through my veins finally ebbing.

"Are you done with your rant?"

I look at him and growl again. "Fuck you, Jasper!"

Jasper rolls his eyes at me like a cocky son-of-a-bitch. "That's a no, then."

I jump up and start pacing again. "No! No. She wants to talk to Sue. What in the fucking hell does she want to talk to her about, eh?"

Jasper looks at me. "Did you ask her, or did you just tell her no? Did you ask how she wanted to play it out? Where and what her requirements were for seeing Sue?" I look at him, rubbing my face and shaking my head. "If you had asked, you would know that she wanted you, me, and Esme with her. She also wanted Jane and Felix outside the door. Sue was to be handcuffed the whole time. She wants and needs this closure, Edward. She isn't like Jane, who is planning and willing to go to jail to get her ending the way she wants it. She wants this to be the last time she ever sees her. If Sue doesn't give her the answers she's looking for, then she'll at least know that she tried. She wants to know why, and being given the excuse that Sue is a heartless, evil bitch is not enough for her. She needs more. Most of all, she wants and needs to stand up to her monster and say, 'You did not break me, you did not beat me, and you did not win.' Do you not want that for her? Do you not want to know why? Why she kept the twins from you?"

I look to Jasper and sniff. I wipe my face roughly, knowing that he's right. This is something I want and need to do, too. I look right at him and sit down. "But what if...?"

Jasper smiles at me. "You can't live your life based on 'what ifs.' I've spoken to Bella at our meetings about Sue and what she may say. She knows that she will hear things that will hurt her, but we're all here for her. Sometimes getting answers to those hard questions may mean hearing things that might hurt you. She's been preparing herself for what's going to happen."

I nod my head at him, thinking back to what I did with Bella. "Oh, fuck! I shouted at her. I told her no and shouted at her. I even stormed out of the house." I jump up and head back out the door. "I'll call you tomorrow, Jazz."

"Buy her some flowers!" I hear him chuckle as I get to the street. He's still a fucker.

I jump in the car and speed home. I even take his advice and pick up a single rose from the gas station. When I pull into our driveway, I see that all the lights are out. I use my key to open the door, turning off the alarm before locking up and resetting it. As I make my way up to our bedroom, I check on Seth and Leah. Seeing that both of them are sound asleep, I make my way upstairs.

I walk into our room and sigh when I don't see Bella in our bed. I turn to leave the room so I can find her, but as I pass the chair, I see Bella curled up there, asleep. I pull my hair as I move to her, and when I bend down, I see that her eyes are puffy. I kiss her head and pick her up.

"Edward?" I look down at her when I hear her voice. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I won't see her, I promise. I won't be bad. I just... I won't."

I close my eyes as I place her on the bed, knowing that I have royally fucked up. "No, baby, it was me who was bad. I was wrong. I'm so sorry I shouted at you," I say, handing her the flower.

She shakes her head and I see a smile as she looks at the rose. "I shouldn't have said I wanted to see her. I know that you're just trying to watch out for me."

I kiss her lips to stop her words. "Baby, I was wrong. I understand it now. I do. Sweetie, you need this — we both need this. I'll arrange for us to have a room to talk to her afterwards, but please promise me that if you feel upset, you'll leave and not listen to what she says if she bad-mouths you. You're a good person — one of the best people I know. I'll be with you, and we'll do this together, I promise. I also want to make one more very important promise to you. If — when we have another fight, I promise not to walk out on you, and listen to what you have to say." I feel her arms move around me as she hugs me, but then I notice she's chuckling.

"What's so funny, baby?"

She smiles at me almost shyly. "Well, Chas says that when couples fight, the best thing is the make-up sex. And, well, that was our first fight... as a couple."

I smile at her and kiss her lips. "I love you so much, baby, and I love how this pregnancy is making you so insatiable." Before she can respond, I kiss her hungrily and start removing her clothing.

**~HCV~**

The court case has dragged on for ten days, but it's finally done. We were just called back for the verdict. There were a lot of hard moments during the last few days, one of them being meeting Sasha. Sasha was Tanya's — the real Tanya's – aunt. She was upset over the death of her niece and brother-in-law. With a heavy heart, I told her that we laid both Tanya and her son to rest, side-by-side. Another hard moment was when Bella's paternal grandmother came up to her. She seems like a nice woman, but Bella's still very unsure of her. She talked a little about what Charlie was like when he was a boy. I know Bella found it hard to hear, because it was almost as if she was speaking about a different person.

The worse thing was that the courthouse was completely surrounded by several news crews on a daily basis. It was like walking through a battlefield. The first day when we arrived, Bella was bombarded with question after question. I was glad that on the second day, Matt called in extra police to help with escorting us and a few others through the media hoopla.

Bella had to be cross-examined, and I hated it. Sue's lawyer really harassed Bella, and even tried to put words in her mouth on several occasions. Bella was on the stand a grand total of four hours and twenty-seven minutes, and each one was hell for me. I was glad when they were finally done with her. I was able to relax a little, until it was my turn to be up there. The whole thing has been a complete nightmare, and I'm glad that it'll all be over soon. When the jury was released for deliberations, we were told it could take anywhere from a few hours to several days before they reached verdict.

Luckily, it was on the shorter end. The jury had only been in deliberation for a mere four hours when the phone rang. It was the District Attorney letting us know that the jury had reached a verdict, and he wanted us back at the courthouse.

We enter the courtroom together, and I held Bella's hand the whole time. I smile as we hear the word guilty being spoken over and over again. As they read each count and charge, the word guilty is read by the foreman of the jury. I hug Bella as the last charge and verdict is read.

Sue was found guilty on all charges, and was led away, screaming the entire time. The jury was dismissed, but we were asked to remain in the courtroom. The District Attorney mentioned that after Sue's hearing, the judge would hear and accept the plea from Harry. We sit here as Harry is led into the courtroom, and takes his seat beside the attorney who entered with him. The judge calls the court to order, and the District Attorney tells the judge that a plea agreement has been entered, then proceeds to read off the charges and the sentence that Harry and the DA's office have agreed on. Harry is made to stand and account for his crimes. I hold Bella as he goes over the list, admitting his guilt for each charge.

The judge agrees to the plea-agreement that puts Harry into maximum security prison for no less than one hundred seventy-two years. There is no possibility of early release; not even with good behavior. Harry knows he's getting lucky with his plea agreement, as Sue is facing the death penalty. As he leaves the courtroom, he stops and turns to us, shocking us both when he asks us to forgive him and tells us how sorry he is. I hold Bella as she cries; even as she nods her head and tells him she forgives him. My girl is entirely too forgiving, but she is, and always will be, a good Christian. I hold her for a few minutes after he's finally led from the courtroom.

"Mr. Masen and Miss Swan, Mrs. Swan is all set-up and waiting for you." I look to see the court clerk, and nod my head at him.

"You ready to do this, baby?"

I watch her take some deep breaths to compose herself. "Yes — yes, I am."

I smile at her, and then look around at our family members. They are both proud and worried about her. We walk to the room, and I give a quick nod to everyone before entering with Bella, Jasper, Esme, and Jane — who refused to remain outside.

Moving inside the room, I see that there are two police officers, a court officer, and Sue. Sue is there with a smug-ass smile on her face as she watches us enter. It's like she doesn't realize that she is handcuffed to the table. Bella sits in the chair across from her with her head held high.

"So, my worthless, little pet... They said you wanted to see me? Well, I see you've been a very bad girl. Didn't you know sex outside of marriage is WRONG and frowned upon by the church and by God? Letting my man, the father of MY children, inside you, means you're going to HELL!"

I watch Bella roll her eyes. "Well, I spoke to Pastor Weber about it already. He knows everything, including the fact that I'm pregnant, and he's happy for me — for us. I questioned him, and he said I've done nothing wrong and have no reason to be ashamed. Plus, I don't think God would send me to hell because my soulmate and I made love and produced a life that will be raised knowing his word. Edward is my life, just as I am his. What we share each and every time we are together, is pure and loving and always will be. We have stood by each other, in sickness and health. When I was nothing more than a poor, uneducated girl, he still loved me. We're faithful to each other, and will never be unfaithful to the other. Our love and respect of each other will stay strong, as long as we live and even through death. In both our minds, we are already married, and so I think that even if we are not married in the eyes of the state and world, we already are in the eyes of God."

I tried hiding my smirk at what she just said because Sue's face fell as Bella spoke.

"What do you want, pet?" Sue sneers out.

Bella looks at me, so I nod my head in encouragement. "I want to know why? Why you didn't love them?"

Sue shakes her head. "That's easy. Because they were meant to be mine and Charlie's. But instead, they had to come out being HIS. Every time I looked at them, all I saw was that stupid fucker."

Bella looks at Sue, shaking her head. "Well, I was Charlie's child and you didn't love me."

Sue laughs sarcastically and shows her teeth as she makes a face. "No. You are right about that. I don't love you. I never have, and I never will. I wanted something that was mine and Charlie's. I deserved that. What I didn't deserve was for your whore of a mother to intentionally get pregnant and try to steal my man from me."

I chuckle out loud at Sue's delusional attitude, making her growl at me.

"There are only two people I love in this world: Charlie and Harry. And you took both away from me," Sue says caustically as she turns her glare on Bella.

"I want to know what you were planning to do with Seth and the baby that belonged to Tanya. What was your plan?"

Sue laughs at Bella's question in her evil, sarcastic way. "You really want to know? Well, I'll tell you," she says with a now huge, happy smile. "Harry and I grew up with the perfect parents. They loved us unconditionally, and raised us with discipline. Harry was the king of high school, and when I joined him there, he made sure I was the queen. He always had my back. I was a first class bitch at school. Anyone I didn't see fit to walk my hall... I made their life hell. There was this one girl. Fuck that! She wasn't a girl, she was a bitch — a goodie-two shoes. But, no matter what I said or did, nothing broke the bitch.

"One day, when I was sixteen, I think it was... Oh, who knows or cares at this point? Anyway, one day I walked in on Harry fucking her. He was really giving it to her good and hard, too, and at first I was pissed. I stood there and watched and my anger built. Then I noticed what was really going on. Harry wasn't making love to her, he was fucking her. Hard-core fucking her... angry and abusive is what it was. She wasn't moaning, she was screaming. After a little while, she passed out, but he kept going.

"I watched as he fucked her and fucked her some more. When he was done, he slapped her awake, threw her clothes at her and called her a worthless whore, and then told her to get out. When she saw me standing there, all I could do was laugh at her. Harry told me later that day that he would hurt anyone who fucked with me. He knew the best way to hurt the snooty, little virgin was to fuck her, and, as he called it, ruin her for any other man, ever. I hugged him and thanked him for breaking her. He told me that he'd done it before and would do it again.

"Anyway, it was a few months before my seventeenth birthday when Harry decided to kill our parents. I agreed with him, and we set the fire after suffocating them. We made sure we had dates so we had alibis that night. Harry was almost nineteen, so he became my guardian. We did whatever we wanted, and lived high off the hog from the money everyone gave to the 'poor, orphaned children.' We were set for a while from all the free handouts, and our parents' house and life insurance. Then, I meet Charlie," Sue says with a smile.

"It wasn't hard to make him see things our way. After he joined us, we were soon tearing up the towns. Then Renee came in to it. Charlie was playing the part of the good church boy. To say that when I found that he slept with her pissed me off, would be putting it mildly. That fucking whore fucked my man. Things fell through when I got angry, and Charlie and I were gone before she could even blink. Slowly, things starting getting good again. At least until you were born.

"Charlie was all set to give you up after she died, but then we saw that we would get three grand every month for keeping your ass. So, yeah, we took you in. The plan was simple: to keep you 'til you were eighteen, get the big chunk of money that was coming to you, and then sell your ass to anyone who would take you. We knew you needed to live a shitty life so that when you were sold, you were already used to a slave's life and wouldn't run off on whoever owned you. So life was good for us. We had your monthly money, and we were still conning dip-shits like him," she says, pointing at me.

"I had a slave, and I had Charlie. Then Harry met Tanya, and decided he wanted her for himself. It was hard for him to try and train her, but he did what he could. Then I read about you, Edward, and you became my next big mark. I studied you, and knew what kind of girl you wanted. I knew I needed to be just like the sweet, innocent girl Tanya was when Harry first met her, so I mimicked her, and you fell for me. As my plan unfolded, I knew we would need to have sex. Charlie was okay with it as long as I taped it, which I did. We spent hours watching it over and over, laughing at how horrible you were. It brought all of us great pleasure.

"But this fucking bitch," Sue sneers, looking to Esme. "She had to step in and cause me all kinds of problems. You see, Harry needed my help in some con he was doing. He had me pretend to be a working girl. If I had known that she was nearby taking pictures, I wouldn't have ever done it. Then again, the cool million we got was nice at the time. In the long run, it wasn't worth it. But, it was too late. We were already busted. I found out I was pregnant, and I was finally happy because I was giving my true love a child of our own. Harry was good about making Tanya take birth-control, but he got lax, and she ended up pregnant, too. Everything was good, except Charlie was worried right away about me losing our babies. He refused to fuck me hard, the way we both liked. In the end, we would make love every once in a while, but he mainly fucked that little cum dumpster of Harry's. Then my Charlie died. My only love died." Sue sobs a little before shaking it off.

"Then I realized that the brats weren't my Charlie's. First the boy came. With him, it was clear as soon as I saw him. The girl came next. Her blood type is A. I'm Type B, and Charlie was Type O, so there was no way she could be his. I was pissed, so when Harry called me a few weeks later to say that Tanya had given birth to a boy, I decided that I'd make you pay. I took him from the crying bitch, and did all the stuff I needed to do.

"The plan I made was for you to buy your son, but end up with him. This was punishment for both you and Tanya. I knew Harry didn't want a baby, even if it was his own. There was also a chance that it may have been another bastard child of my Charlie's, so I was going to give him to you. I planned to let you bond with him and love him, and then pull the rug out from underneath you. I knew it would crush you to find out that he wasn't your boy, and that your boy was with another family. It would have been epic. Everything was going the way I wanted, until you two bitches fucked up my plans again," Sue says, glaring at Esme and then Bella.

"When I took the boy to meet the family, he wouldn't stop crying for his bell. I mean, what was that about? When the family saw that I couldn't calm him down, they started thinking something was up. I had to make a quick getaway, knowing that the family was close to calling the cops on me. Halfway home that day, I found out that Tanya had said 'I love you' to her brat. Harry lost it, and killed her by beating her to death. Then, to top it all off, you pulled back on our agreement. So I changed my plan and made you think that your son and I were dead. It was so fucking easy to do. I even watched the house burn to the ground, smiling the whole time, knowing that you'd soon find out he was dead.

"I knew that I needed to get out of Seattle, though, because that other family was still sniffing around, so I left both of the bastard children with the slave. I gave her a simple order, which she was clearly too stupid to actually follow. The way I see it, she should be thrown in the basement or the wall closet where she belongs. I was going to come back when she was eighteen to get her money and then sell her, but I found out that she had to be twenty before she could collect the money.

"I was due to come back when I found out that Harry was arrested. Then I found out you two were together. I've been following you both for quite some time. For the most part, you didn't even know. I knew that you had money, and that your little pet here was due to collect some soon, so I formed a new plan. All I needed to do was get my hands on it, but sadly I never got the chance." Turning her venomous look back to Bella, she snarls.

"I'd like to point out that once he gets done with you, you won't be good enough to even be his pet. You may be good enough for a fuck, but there is no way that Edward will stay with you. When the boy and girl turn eighteen, they'll come for me. You never know, they may just kill you for me. After all, the apple never falls far from the tree." Sue smiles at Bella and Bella shakes her head.

"NO! They're good kids. They would never do anything like that. I don't know what made you and Harry the way you are, but Seth and Leah are good."

Sue laughs loudly at her and sneers as she yells, "Whatever, you worthless, little pet!"

Bella stands up. "I — I — I have no idea what to say to you. I mean, what you just said was — no... is sick and evil. I would like to thank you for what you did teach me. I know how to cook, clean, work, and be invisible, and without all that, Seth, Leah, and I would never have survived. Even with everything we went thought after you left. It may seem strange, but I wouldn't change a thing. I missed you so much the first few months, but after a while, I was more scared that you would actually come back. With you gone, I could show the twins how much I loved them and teach them to be kind and loving. I may not have been able to teach them to read, but I did teach them unconditional love. I taught them that I was proud of them, and that I'd always be there for them, no matter what."

Sue chuckles at her. "You're nothing more than a sad, little pet, and Renee should've flushed you down the toilet when she had the chance. I pray that you lose that brat you have in inside of you..." Sue is cut off by me jumping up as Esme steps forward like she's going to hit Sue. "Please, Esme. Like you have the guts to hit me! You're just another sad person. Maybe my pet will lose her baby like you did, and suffer the same punishment as you for trying to bring a bastard into this world."

I hear Esme muttering as Sue talks. Esme reaches into her purse, and can't help but wonder what she's doing as she puts on a glove that she pulls out. I'm momentarily taken aback when Esme pulls her arm back and punches Sue right in her nose. I even hear a loud crack.

"No, Sue, you're wrong. I had the guts; I just didn't want to dirty my hand by touching your face. Now I am taking my son and daughter out of here and away from your poison-laced bullshit." At that, she grabs Bella's hand and helps her stand.

I get up and follow Bella and Esme to the door.

"You're all so stupid to think I've done all of this by myself. You better lock your doors," Sue chokes out as we are leaving the room.

"Oh, they will be safe. Trust me," Jane snarls, getting right in Sue's face. I see Jane lean in closer and whisper something in Sue's ear, and then watch while Sue's face goes very pale as we walk out the door.

In the hallway, we're all just staring at Esme in awe. I chuckle slightly when I notice Esme mumbling about contamination as she peels her glove off and throws it in the trash can.

"Now that was fucking epic, Mrs. C! I can certainly see why the doc married you. You've become my new role model," Jane says as she wraps her arm around Esme.

Everyone just looks at us in confusion. "Thank you, Mom," Bella sighs as she hugs Esme.

I hear Esme chuckle. "Anytime, sweetie. You are MY daughter, and no one speaks to you or about you like that." Esme kisses Bella's head. "Carlisle, dear, I think Sue's face may have broken my hand."

I shake my head as I come out of my shock, chuckling before pulling Esme into my arms hugging her as close as I can while still holding Bella.

We decide to have a family meal together when we get home. We're all just glad that this part of the nightmare is all over and we can relax a bit. Jane talks to Bella, telling her that she will be leaving for a few weeks after the wedding, but she will be back. She didn't say where she was going, but she and Aro share a look on the sly. The look tells me that I'll soon find out. We all head to our respective homes, and I take a sleepy Bella to bed.

"I am so proud of you for standing up to Sue. You did so amazing today." I kiss her head as she smiles.

"I feel better, in a way. I'm just glad I said the things I did. I needed to get it off my chest, you know? I realized something today, though. I think she'd have found any reason she could to not love Seth and Leah, even if they had been Charlie's."

I nod my head at her because I feel the same way.

"Do you think she really has someone else helping her that will come after us?"

"I'm not sure, but between all your family and friends, no one will get close to you again. Soon you'll be my wife," I say before kissing her deeply.

Once we stop for air, she smiles at me. "I'm excited to be your wife and take your name. I can't wait to be your Mrs. Masen."

I kiss her neck. "Only ten more days, baby. Ten more days and you are all mine. Forever."

She looks into my eyes. "I was yours from the moment I saw you. You are my prince, Edward. You saved me and slayed my dragon."

**~HCV~**

It's Thursday, and I had to come in to Midnight Sun today to wrap up the books for the semi-annual accounting review. I've been putting it off because of court, but now that that's all done, I need to get things caught up here. I'm just about done, and am glad because I want to go home.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

I look up and am shocked to see Sally standing there.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"Do you mind if I come in? I'd like to talk to you for a minute."

"Please, come in and have a seat," I say, wondering why she's here. Millions of thoughts go through my head as she sits down and looks at me.

"I can see the questions and thoughts reeling in your head. First off, I want you to know that I don't want anything from you. I just wanted you to know that I love and care for Bella and those kids. I know that you used to be Anthony, and I want you to know that I'm so happy you found what you were looking for. I want you to know that I haven't told Bella, and I don't intend to because I wouldn't want to hurt her."

I hold up my hand to stop her. "Sally, I'm glad that you care so much about Bella, but she knows about my time at the club. I've disclosed to her who the girls were that I was with there. I appreciate that you were worried about hurting Bella, but I would never hide anything from her."

"I'm glad to hear that, Edward. I always had a soft spot in my heart for you, because you were always so nice. Thank you for being such a great guy and finding Isabella. She needed you as much as you needed her."

"I needed her more than she'll ever need me," I say in response. "You know, Sally... you'll be walking down the aisle at our wedding in a few days with Taylor, and he's a nice guy." I raise my brow suggestively.

"Are you playing matchmaker, now?"

"Maybe, but you should really blame Bella. She's convinced that Taylor is the perfect match for you. Besides, would it be so bad to meet a decent guy of your own?" I ask, wanting her to find the happiness she deserves.

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><p><strong>AN: mia ragazza - means: my girl. Well this story may be coming to a close soon, but keep in mind that Enduring His Cimmerian View will still have quite a few points of view posting to it. Up next on EHCV will be Jane's POV. Chapter 33 will be the wedding and there may just be a few surprises thrown in there too. I am still working on it though, and hope to have it finished before tomorrow morning. 34 is more than half written, and 35 will be the final chapter at this point. There may be a small delay in the posting of 33, because I have seriously been without internet other than on my phone for a week now... and that sucks – just sayin'– but I will do my best to get it finished so it can post on time. We want to thank you all for your wonderful words and love throughout this story and we want you to know how much each review has meant to us. Thanks everyone. Kasi (& Nikky)**

*****Sorry for the delay in this chapter posting you are all welcome to contact Medicom in Iowa and tell them exactly what kind of idiots they have working there... By the way, I am posting this from my local public library, yay me! *****


	33. Chapter 33

**See big authors note at the end! All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, Nikky and I only own this awesome ass story line.**

**~HCV~  
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><p><strong>Chapter 33: Wedding Bells<strong>

Today is the day that I have been looking forward to since I realized that I was in love with her – my Bella Baby, my soulmate, my one true and complete love. Today I make her my wife. Last night Bella and Leah went to Esme's with Alice, Zafrina, Jane, and Sally. The guys all came here to our house, including Aro. Seth, being my best man, had planned my 'bachelor party' last night, and he did a good job of it.

With the help of Garrett, he got his hands on a large poker table, and even hired a dealer for the night with Aro's help. He asked Bella and Esme to make us snacks, and then sent Emmett and Jasper to get the big people juice. We kept the card game light while Seth was playing with us. After he went to bed, we gambled a little harder. Emmett's only complaint about the night was that there seemed to be a lack of strippers.

The night was relaxing and rather quiet, so it was perfect for me. I don't see this as my last night of freedom, but the last night of my old, solitary life. I can't wait to have Bella as my wife. I can't wait to call her Mrs. Masen tomorrow. Tomorrow I marry my soulmate, and my true life will begin.

**~HCV~**

Here I am, standing up at the front of the church. Everything is so beautifully decorated. The girls made it look perfect, and I know it's exactly as Bella wanted it. The ladies of the church made sure that every single detail of Bella's wishes was precisely the way she had envisioned it. As I wait for my Bella Baby to be escorted down the aisle to me, I look around and see the smiling faces of our family and friends. It seems as if the entire church congregation has come to see Bella and I get married. I'm really touched by their love and support, and I know Bella will be as well.

As the music plays, I watch Seth and Leah walk down the aisle together. I smile widely because Seth looks so much like me in his matching suit, and Bella was absolutely right - Leah looks like a princess in her dress. I kiss the top of her head once she reaches me. I even tousle Seth's hair as he goes and stands in his place. Next to walk down are Emmett and Lucy. Emmett kisses her hand sweetly before coming to stand next to me and Seth.

As he passes me, he whispers in my ear. "She looks really hot."

I chuckle silently and bump Emmett's arm before I look to see Lucy standing behind Leah, hugging her lightly. The next down the aisle are Taylor and Sally, who both keep stealing glances at each other. I really think Bella and I make great matchmakers. The last couple to walk down the aisle is Jasper and Alice. Alice seems happier since she's started a new medication that seems to have a calming effect on her manic moods swings.

Now all we're waiting for is the bride. When I hear the music change and get louder, I feel my excitement grow. Pachelbel's Canon in D starts filtering through the church as the doors open and I see my beloved Bella. I stand up straighter and move slightly to the center so I can see her better.

"Dad, you don't have to go get her. She's going to come to you," Seth whispers loudly. I hear a few chuckles, and know he said it loud enough that a few people in the congregation heard, but I couldn't care less. They could all laugh at us. Nothing is going to ruin this moment because I am struck in awe of the beauty that is slowly moving into the doorway.

She looks like an angel, and I am stunned. The dress she chose is perfect. It's silky-looking and overlaid with a lace-like cover. I scan down her body, taking in every inch of her beauty. I will picture this every day of the rest of my life. It's almost as if time slows down as I watch her. She slowly moves down the aisle to me on Aro's arm. The closer she gets, the more details of the dress come into view, but that's not what I'm looking at. I have been waiting, not so patiently, to see her in her dress, and yet my eyes are trained on hers. I make a mental note to be sure to check out the whole dress before our pictures are taken.

After scanning her once more, my eyes find their way back to hers, and she is staring right back at me. My breathing hitches as she gives me that innocent, heartbreaking smile of hers. As Aro and Bella move to stand right before me, I mouth the words 'I love you' to my girl. Aro places Bella's right hand in my outstretched palm. I have to fight the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her.

"Who gives this woman to marry this man?"

I look at Aro as he smiles. "Her entire family and I proudly give the hand of Isabella Marie Swan to her one and only true love, Edward Anthony Masen."

I hear the cheer of agreement coming from all our family and close friends sitting in the first few pews. Aro kisses Bella's head and pats my arm before taking his seat next to Sulpicia and his mother – who is already crying.

The wedding is a blur. I hope that I managed to say the right words at the right time, because I honestly can't remember much of it. The only thing my entire mind has been able to comprehend is that Bella is mine… all mine. She is mine to have and hold, to love and cherish, from this day forward to forever. I will spend every day of my life making her feel special and cherishing her, because without her, my life would be dark and bleak. I can't wait to make love to her for the first time as my wife. Then it hits me: from now on, each time I kiss, hug, hold, cuddle, lick or make love to Bella, she will be my wife; mine, forever.

Suddenly I'm brought out of my thoughts as I hear Pastor Weber speak. "You may kiss the bride."

I pull her into my arms and dip her back to kiss her. Once again, everything fades away and it's almost like it's just Bella and me here. I lose myself in her as we both use our lips to show the other how much this day means to us. We're brought out of our private moment by loud cheering and wolf whistles.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen and their children Seth and Leah. The Masen family." I smile as we stand together while everyone rises with us to clap and cheer.

We release one pew at a time, and accept hugs and well-wishes from everyone we know. We go through the process of taking photos once everyone that isn't needed heads over to Midnight Sun. We sign all the legal documents, and I smile as I see her write her name as Isabella Masen for the first time. Because of their age, Seth and Leah are unable to sign a legally binding document, such as the marriage license, so Aro and Zafrina sign as our witnesses instead.

As we make our way out of the church, I pull Bella in close to kiss her neck and just behind her ear before I whisper to her. "I can't wait to take this gorgeous dress off of you."

I feel her chuckle and turn her face up to mine. "I can't wait until you see what's under this dress."

And as the images of what could be under that dress fly through my head, I feel my pants getting tighter. I shake my head as the photographer asks us to get ready for him. We will be taking some pictures with our small family, and some of just us, in several places we have chosen around town.

As we're heading to the limo, Mrs. Marshall comes up to us. "That was a beautiful service and you all look amazing. We all chipped in to get this for you," she states, handing us an envelope. "This is for all of you, and for a brand new start as a family."

Bella smiles at her and then opens the envelope. Inside, I see a gift certificate for the photographer we're using. The certificate covers all the copies of every print from the wedding and reception, and a large book to be put together for us.

"Wow! Thank you so much. This is very kind of all of you, Mrs. Marshall." Bella leans forward and hugs her.

"We wanted to do this. You are such a beautiful girl and we all love you so much. We're so glad that you picked our church to come to, and all of us ladies of the church wanted to be sure you have this day remembered in photos forever." Mrs. Marshall kisses Bella's cheek and then mine. I hear Bella sniff after hugging her tight before Mrs. Marshall moves away. I know her sniffles are more a combination of her hormones and the wedding, but the sweetness behind this gift was very touching.

I rub her tummy and feel our Lil' Bean kick and it makes me smile. "I see someone is awake and celebrating with us, my beautiful wife." She nods her head and places her hand over mine. I love that Bella allows me to interact with Lil' Bean so much. I let her go enough to help her, Seth, and Leah into the car. We make our way to another location to have a few more photos taken before we finally head to Midnight Sun.

The photographer took a few shots at the park and the college, and then we even had some taken as we rode around in the backseat of the stretch limo we rented. It takes a bit of time to get all the shots we want, but we want to preserve the memories of this for years to come, for our small and growing family. The photographer has taken well over five hundred different poses between the actual wedding and now. We are finally heading to Midnight Sun, and I'm glad because I just heard Bella's tummy grumble.

"Are you hungry, my beautiful wife?"

Bella smiles and nods her head, and Seth and Leah giggle as her tummy rumbles again. The limo pulls up outside, and I am awestruck at the sight of the decorations on the outside of the building. As we enter, I'm blown away with all the work my employees have done to make it look so special. I can't help but smile. I see Eric manning the door of the kitchen; he refused to allow anyone other than himself to make the meal. He was clear about the fact that he didn't want Bella eating anything that was bad for her or Lil' Bean. I know all of this is extra work for him, but he doesn't seem to mind one bit. I see him walking toward us with a big smile on his face.

"Bossy-man and his beautiful Bella," Eric says, shaking my hand and kissing Bella's cheek. "You look stunning, Bella. My Bossy-man here is one lucky guy. Oh, wow! Now, neither of you told me that we were having a prince and princess join us here today. Look at you two. Just wow!" I look to see Leah smile, and I know she's happy that he thinks that she looks like a princess.

Soon the place is packed, and Eric goes back to the kitchen as we all sit down and the wait staff brings out our meals. During our meal, I noticed that Bella is picking at her food instead of eating it. Her morning sickness has lessened, but has yet to go away completely.

"Baby, are you ok? You haven't eaten much." She turns and looks at me.

"I'm fine, really. I just feel like I have butterflies in my tummy with Lil' Bean." I kiss her head, knowing that in a roundabout away, she's telling me she is feeling sick.

"Take it easy, Baby. If you're going to be sick, tell me all right?" She nods her head and leans in to kiss my lips. I smile as I kiss her back. It's not until I hear clapping that I remember where we are. I pull back after giving her one last kiss, and return to the rest of my dinner.

After everything is cleared away, the speeches begin, starting with Aro.

"Well, I have known both Isabella and Edward for six years respectively. I've known them both as single people, and now as a couple. I will start with Edward. What I can say about Edward, is that when I met him, he seemed to be a well-educated but lonely young man. It was clear to see that he was in denial about his happiness. You could see the wall that he had built-up around himself to keep everyone away from knowing the real him. I knew that it would take not just a great woman to break this wall down, but an amazing one. And he found that woman in Isabella. Now for Isabella..." Aro stops and smiles after he says her name. "Here is a girl who is one of the purest people I have ever met in my life. Yet, at the same time, she's a lot like Edward. Isabella has endured more than her share of hardship, and it would have brought most people to their knees. Yet she is one of the strongest and most loving people I have ever met. She never gives up, and no matter what life throws at her, she takes it and tries to find a way around it. She has so much that she can teach people. Isabella has taught me about love and the importance of family. I'm sure my mother will say that I have been a better son since Isabella came into our lives."

I start to chuckle as Zafrina nods her head and shouts out. "You are so correct there, son. I just wish the other two bozos you call brothers would get their heads outta their behinds now, too!"

Aro shakes his head as everyone laughs at Zafrina's outburst. "But when Edward and Isabella started to get to know each other, you could see them change each other for the better. They have both grown over the past year, both as individuals and as a couple. They have knitted together and become this strong family that seems to stand up against all odds, no matter who is against them. So raise your glasses and help me to toast my wonderful Isabella, who I think of as a daughter, and her wonderful, loving husband and their children. To the Masen Family!" he says, raising his glass high in the air. After things quiet down, Aro puts the micro-phone to his mouth again. "I am now passing you over to Carlisle."

Carlisle smiles and stands up. "Edward, Esme and I have known you since you were almost ten years old. We have watched you turn from the lonely boy who came to stay with us, into the man who stood before us today, pledging to love his soulmate forever. I – well, we – are so proud to call you our son. You haven't had an easy life, but this last year you have shown great courage to face everything you have. As for you, my Little One, you have not only won Edward's heart, but that of everyone else's here, as well. You truly are one of the most beautiful people in the world, inside and out. I have never met someone as kind and as pure as you are, and I'm so happy and proud that you have chosen Edward to be your husband. Never before have I met a young couple more suited for the other than you two are. You are both the perfect match for the other, and you both have learned the meaning of true love for each other. To Edward and Bella, and of course my grandchildren- present and future."

"To the Masen's!" everyone says together as they raise their glasses.

Bella stands up and goes to Aro and Carlisle, hugging them both before turning to hug Esme and Zafrina.

As Bella makes her way back to me and sits on my lap, Jasper stands up. "Well, they both said everything that I was planning to cover in my speech. There isn't really much left to say, but I'll give it a try."

Everyone chuckles at Jasper as he shrugs.

"You two are really suited for each other, and you bring out the best in one another. Everyone knows that the past twelve months have been far from easy on either of you. Yet, with each other, you've managed to not only survive, but thrive. You've become a family, and you have shown us all what unconditional love is all about. One piece of advice that I want to share with both of you is to never go to bed angry with each other. Anger is a feeling of passion, and you should never waste your passion on being mad. Use that passion to make-up. It's so much more rewarding. Besides, make-up sex is always better when you're channeling your passion in the right places. Here's to your marriage," Jasper says, raising his glass.

I chuckle and look at Bella, who is leaning forward, trying to cover Seth and Leah's ears. I chuckle even more and pull her back onto my lap, placing my hands around her and resting my palms over our Lil' Bean.

I look over to see Emmett standing up, and I hear him clearing his throat. "Well, I've been thinking about this speech from the first moment I saw you two with each other. Neither of you knew it then, but I did. You were both so completely in-sync with each other; your individual movements were like one. But everyone here has said this, so I'm just going to go for some verses and poems. This one's for you, Ed. It may be the best piece of advice you will ever get. It's an excerpt by Ogden Nash."

"'To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the loving cup, whenever you're wrong, admit it; whenever you're right, shut up.'" Everyone laughs, and he smiles at them and nods his head. "Edward, I know that you've heard this before, but I think it's best to revisit it. 'Love is patient and kind; it is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense, nor is it resentful. Love takes no pleasure in others' sins, but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. There are three things that last – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.' That passage, my friend, is from St. Paul to the Corinthians, and is noted in I Corinthians 13: 4-8, and 13. Bella, my Little Bit, always remember that you are the rock that keeps my man, Ed, here strong. Without your love, he was a lost soul, and with you, not only did he find his soul, he found the mate to his soul. Witnessing the two of you fall in love has been an eye-opener for me. Being around a true love like yours has made me – and I'm sure a lot of others – hopeful. I think that, just maybe, there is something worth fighting and dying for in this world for each of us. To my best friend and pseudo-brother, Edward, and his beautiful wife, Bella. Here's to the Masens!" he shouts, holding his glass high in the air. "I believe that Seth and Leah wish to speak next."

Bella and I turn to look at Seth and Leah as they stand up. "We just want to say that you are the best dad in the world, and we're so glad to have you as our dad and we love you. We wanted you to know this before we said the next thing." I smile at Leah as she speaks to me.

"I love the both of you, too." They nod their heads at me.

"Before you came into our lives, Dad, it was mainly us three: Leah, Bella, and me."

Leah takes the paper and begins speaking. "At school, every one talked about their moms and dads. We would listen to their stories and watch them with their parents when they came to school or when we played at the park," Leah carries on. "We often heard the other kids and their parents say that we were missing out on things. But, after a while, we realized that we didn't have anything missing at all. They may have had moms and dads, but we had Bella."

"Our Bells," Seth says and clears his throat. "Our Bella was so much better then all those moms and dads put together," Seth says as Leah nods her head.

"Yes, much better. You always showered us with love and you still do. You would never judged us, but would always ask us for our side of the story when things went wrong. We knew we could tell you anything, and knew that, even if we were bad, you still loved us and had our backs. You always seemed to get us what we needed, and even things we wanted, by ignoring your own needs. You even brought our dad to us, and now you've married him. As if that isn't enough, you are also making us older siblings by giving us a baby brother or sister. You've done everything for us, and we just wanted to tell you that we love you so much. We're so happy that you're our sister, and that you have finally found your own Prince Charming." They jump into her arms and hug her tight. I smile widely, kissing their heads. After they let go and head back to their seats, Bella stands up.

"Hello, everyone. I just wanted to say a few things. Aro and Zafrina, I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have done so much for me. You're both amazing and I love you. When I read books and watched films about growing up and family life, I know you are what a family is all about. You've both said that I changed you, but you've both changed me, too. You didn't disregard me because of how I looked. You looked at me and saw the real me, and for that, I thank you so much.

"Carlisle and Esme, I really don't know what to say apart from thank you. That doesn't feel like enough, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. You took care of Edward when he needed you most; even when he tried to push you away. You both showed me that with a lot of work and talking, people can overcome any obstacle and be together. I see you both and hope that our marriage can be as great as yours. Esme and Zafrina, you have shown me what a true mom is, and I really feel that in you both, I have a real mom. Neither of you can ever replace the mom I lost, but you both make me feel the love a daughter should feel from her mother. Carlisle and Aro, you're both the best fathers a girl could ever want or need. I may not have blood linking me to any of you, but you're all equally my parents. That's how I feel, anyway. Emmett and Jasper, what can I say about you two?" Bella shakes her head.

"You both brighten up my day, and I love you guys. You've taught me how to look at things from every perspective. Because of you both, I know how to take a deep breath and sort everything out in my head before acting on something. You both taught me about humor and that sometimes you have to just let go and have fun." Smiling at Emmett brightly, she adds, "And Emmett, because of you, especially, I know that it's fun and okay to jump on the bed sometimes."

Everyone lets out a big laugh and Emmett yells out a 'damn right!'

After the laughter settles down, Bella begins again. "Mrs. Cope, Alice, Lucy, Char, Jane, Sally, Sulpicia, and so many of you other girls have taught me about being a woman. All the girl stuff that I had no clue about, you all helped me… grow more confident in being… well, you know." Bella blushes as everyone laughs and cheers. "I love all you, I really do. Thank you so much for everything that you have taught me, and for all the things you'll continue to teach me."

Bella then turns toward me and the children. "Seth and Leah, I've raised you as my brother and sister, and I love you with my whole heart. You guys are everything to me. You are both so much more to me than just a brother and sister, though. I would do anything for you. I will always love and support you in everything that you do in life. I will NEVER turn my back on you no matter what. Edward, God, I really don't know what to say to you. I really can't find the words to tell you how much I love and need you in my life. You've shown me love and built my faith in happiness and trust. You showed me that it was all right to let others into my life. You helped me learn that not everyone was out to hurt me. You demonstrated to me that it was all right to show others that I loved them. You presented me with a way to become all that I am and will be. You make me feel powerful, beautiful, and loved every time I stand next to you. Thank you so much for all of that, and I just want you to know how much I love you." I stand up and hug her to me, and then help her to sit back in her chair where both Seth and Leah hug her again.

I chuckle and run my hand through my hair as I stand up. "It's really awful to have to stand and speak last because everyone else has already said so much. Everything that you've all said has been very touching and meaningful to not only Bella and me, but our children, as well. I echo everything that Bella said to you all." I shake my head and chuckle again. "Well, apart from the things she said to all the girls, that is," I say, as everyone busts out laughing. "But I do thank you for what you have taught her. You've all taught me so much over the years. It's just a shame it took so long for me to see and learn it. Yet those years led me to finding my wonderful other half, my Bella Baby. Seth and Leah, I'm so proud to be your dad. I could never ask for better children than both of you. You amaze me every day, and I'm sure that you will continue to do so. Baby, I told you several times that you've changed my life, and you really have - so much and so completely. I don't even recognize the person I used to be. Before you, I had no quality of life. I've never been the kind of person who thinks long-term, but with you, no measure of time could be enough, so we'll just start with forever. I love you, my beautiful and precious wife. I raise this glass in a toast to my family, new and old. To the Masen family!"

Everyone claps and cheers for us. It isn't long after the toasts that Bella and I make our way to cut the cake. I chuckle as soon as I see that Eric has not only made a large, three-tiered wedding cake, but also every single kind of muffin there is. There are loads of them. I see him grinning at me. He knows just how much Bella and the twins like muffins. We cut the cake, and people take pictures of us as Bella and I share bites of cake with each other.

Once we've fed each other, we go back to the table while the cake is cut and served. I look around the room and notice all the smiles and conversations going on. We have such a lovely group of friends and family. I see Taylor head over and climb up to stand on the bar.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to the dance floor for their first dance, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen." I stand up and kiss Bella's head before helping her up. We head over to the small dance floor for our first dance as husband and wife.

I lead her to the middle of the floor as Angel Eyes by the Jeff Healey Band starts to play. I pull her up and rest her feet on mine, pressing my cheek to hers as I sing the song in her ear. I let myself get lost in our dance together, completely shutting out everyone and everything around us. For this one song, no one else matters. We're all alone with each other. As the second song, Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts starts, I know that the others from the wedding party have joined us. The photographer is still here and is taking a ton of pictures. I stay in my bubble with Bella, as if we're all alone. As the last note is played, I stand tall and pick her up, holding her face to my level to kiss her before setting her back on her feet. Then, I drop to my knees and kiss her belly.

I dance with Esme as Bella dances with Aro, and then I dance with Zafrina as she dances with Carlisle. I watch as Seth dances with my beautiful wife while I dance with Leah. I can't take my eyes off of her as Bella dances with Emmett, Jasper, Peter, and Taylor. I finally I go and claim her back. I danced the entire time she was dancing with others, but I couldn't tell you who it was with. After I dance with Bella for a few more songs, I allow her to sit down, knowing that the pregnancy still makes her tire easily. Bella insists that I continue to dance, so I dance with a select few of our other friends. Right now I'm dancing with Chas, and she smiles up at me.

"You know, if someone told me a year ago that I would be dancing with you at your wedding today, I would never have believed them. Not because I didn't think any woman would want you, I just never thought that you'd find the one girl that you would let in. You really deserve this happiness, Edward, and I'm so glad you found it. You're not a bad guy. You've made some shitty mistakes, but deep down, you're a great guy."

I smile at her. "Thank you, Chas. You know it was never easy for me. I always felt like the odd man out. Even hanging out, sitting and talking, or going to different social obligations was hard. You know, I have always respected you so much, Chas, and your friendship means the world to me. Even when you and Peter were just friends, you never made me feel awkward, and well… you never hit on me. And for everything that you've been teaching Bella – showing her all the different things – and well, I will always be grateful to you for it all."

I hear her chuckle. "I take it that you liked the dance then?"

I nod my head and feel the blush on my face.

"Good, I'm glad. I taught her how to pole dance because I'm all for a little kink in the sheets, as long as you're both agreeable. Besides, it's always best to keep things interesting with the girl you love. There's nothing wrong with wanting a sexy dance from your girl. I told Bella the same thing. I told her that you'd be afraid to tell each other things you'd like to try out." She winks at me as the song ends and then kisses me on the cheek. "I'll let you get back to your wife, Edward."

I smile at her as Peter appears and dances away with her. I look around, but I don't see Bella anywhere. Seth is dancing with Lucy, and Emmett is dancing with Leah, but Lucy and Emmett seem to be looking at each other. I shake my head as I move toward my office to see if Bella has gone in there to lie down.

Just as I get to the door, Esme comes out looking nervous. I start to feel panic as she looks at me. "Esme, is Bella all right?"

She looks at me in shock before patting my arm. "Yes… yes, she's fine. Edward, there's no easy way to say this, but your mom is here. She's in the office with Bella right now. She was hiding, and tried to leave when she saw that Bella and I saw her. We got her to come and sit in your office."

I gulp as I look at Esme, not understanding what she's saying. "Wha... what do you mean my mom is here?"

Esme looks at me sadly. "She came to see you get married. I got the picture from what she said to Bella and me, that she has been here all along and kept herself in the background, just watching you. She wanted to leave before you noticed her. She's afraid it would upset you to know that she had come. But Bella..." Esme smiles and shakes her head. "Bella told her to come to the office. I was just coming to find you."

I nod my head at her, trying my best to wrap my head around this. "So, she's in there right now with my Bella?"

Esme nods her head at me.

"Esme, I don't know if I can do this. I mean, it's been thirteen years. I don't – I'm not sure… what do I say?"

Esme rubs my arm as she looks at me. "Yes, Edward, you can do this. How about you start with 'hello, Mom.'"

I chuckle, looking at the woman in front of me. "You have too much faith in me. I don't know if I can do nice, Esme – she left me."

Esme let out a sigh. "Yes, you can. Bella has changed how you see things now, and I think that, after everything you've both been through, you know your mom felt like she was doing what was best for you by leaving you with Carlisle and me - just like you tried to leave Bella because you felt that was best for her. Just talk to her. Tell her how you feel, and find out why she left. Look how you handled Sue and the mess she caused. After all of that, this should be easy. No one expects you to welcome her with open arms. We know it's going to take time for you to heal, and even longer before you can trust her again."

I close my eyes for a moment, and then open them again, looking at the door. "Okay, I can do this. Can you keep an eye on the twins? I'd kind of like Bella to stay with me." She nods her head before walking off.

I take a deep breath, and when I open the door, I see Bella sitting next to my mother. She looks pretty much the way I remember her. "Edward, my… boy. My – you look so handsome. Just look at you," she speaks in her fast-paced, giddy voice. It's easy to hear and see that she is truly happy. She jumps up and places her right hand on my shoulder. "I missed you so much... I hope it's okay, but I had to see you get married. Your Bella is so beautiful – she really is."

I let out a sigh, feeling the anger and apprehension I had for her over the years leave my body. I pull her toward me and hug her tight.

"I missed you so much, too," I sob out, because right now I feel very much like the young boy she left all those years ago.

"Why are you crying?"

I pull back, looking right at her. "Why did you leave me, Mom? I would've looked after you. You know I would've done anything, but you left me."

I feel her hand touch my face. "Because, my son, you weren't meant to look after me. I was meant to look after you. I know that I was a burden to you, and at such a young age, too. They said that they would take you away, and that I was a bad mom. I knew there was no way I could have fought for you and won. Giving you to Esme and Carlisle seemed like the best thing to do. I look at you now, and see what you've become, and I know I made the best choice for you."

I frown as I look at her. "Who told you that?"

She shakes her head. "The people from the state who came to the hospital. They told me that I was bad for you. They said that I was unable to care for a minor child, and that they were going to court to take you away from me. I knew what they were saying was right, and I couldn't let you go through that. So I gave you to Esme and Carlisle instead, knowing that they would give you all the love and care you needed to be raised right."

I rub my face and then look around the room for Bella. I see that she's in the far corner reading to herself. I can't help but smile because she knows that we needed this private time, yet I need her close to me.

"When I left the place Carlisle put me in, I felt so much better. The medication seemed to have helped balance me. I had a support person that I could call anytime, and I went to group meetings, too. It was easy for me to talk about the strange things I felt when I was with other people who felt them, too. I came to see you after a while. I came to see if you wanted to see me. When I saw you, you were at peace and seemed happy. You had friends – real friends – and I knew that I couldn't take you away from that, so I decided it was better for me just to watch you from afar. I stayed away, but close enough to be there for all your milestones."

I shake my head at what she's saying, not understanding it all.

"I was there. I saw you in your blue cap and gown at the end of your high school years; and, then again, in yellow for your college graduation. You looked so handsome in the blue one. I even saw when you threw the cap and it landed on Alice's head." She chuckles, and I know that she must have been there. "I took pictures even when you started at the college. I took a picture of you on your first day. I really wanted to be a part of your life in any way I could."

I pull her to the couch with me and sit down. "I want you to be a part of my life and my family's life, but it will take time, Mom. I can't just… I mean I don't trust that you won't just up and leave if it gets too hard. What happens if you get sad again?"

I watch her frown and nod her head. "I still get sad, but I haven't been really sad in a long time. There are still days that I can't get out of bed, but I try to do what I've been told, and I take my medication every day."

Bella walks over to me and sits on my knee, so I kiss her head. "Mom, this is my wife, Bella. Bella Baby, this is my mom."

Bella smiles at us both, and then reaches her hand out to hold my mother's. "Mom, would you like to meet Seth and Leah?"

My mom gasps and looks at me, and I see tears in her eyes as she nods her head.

"Mom, I was wondering... I mean, I love you, but right now I would like to tell them that you're a family friend, if you don't mind – just until we get this sorted out. I need some time to wrap my head around you actually being here."

My mom nods her head. "Yes, of course that's fine, and I completely understand. Are you sure, though? You really want me to meet them?"

I nod, and Bella kisses my head before getting up. "I'm just going to go and get them."

I watch Bella leave the room and then look at my mom again to I see that this is something she really wants. I also see that she is trying hard to keep herself on top of her feelings and remain in control.

"Mom, Bella and the kids are the most important people in my life. I want you to be a part of their lives, but you really need to help this by continuing to help yourself. I know it's hard when you're down, but you can't hurt yourself and let them know about it."

She places her fingers over my mouth and nods her head. I see the guilty look in her eyes. I know she's remembering all the times I had walked in on her doing something like that.

"I'm going on my honeymoon, but when I get back, I think we both need some help with this, Mom. We need to talk to someone."

Again, she nods her head. "I love you, my boy. You're so much like your father." She hugs me tight, but I hear Bella's voice, so I let her go as the door opens while my mom wipes her face clear of tears.

"Seth, Leah, this is Liz – a family friend," I say.

They both look at her, then to me, and back to her again. "Nice to meet you," they say together, and I watch them walk over to her and give her a hug.

I smile at Bella, knowing that they have already worked out for themselves just exactly who she really is to me. I see Bella biting her lip, holding back her chuckle.

All five of us are still in the office talking away. Seth and Leah have not openly come out and said that they know Liz is my mom, but I think they realize that I need some time. I chuckle at the joke Seth just told, and then look up as I hear the light knock on the office door.

"It's open," I say and watch as Jane comes in and smiles at Bella.

"I need to leave now. Bella, remember I'll be gone for like three weeks to a month at tops. Have a nice time away with Edward, and be sure to keep Lil' Bean nice and safe in there."

Bella jumps up to hug her, and after the hug, I watch as Jane bends down to talk to Bella's baby bump. "And you, Lil' Bean, you be good for your mommy. No more making her so sick, all right? Let her get a little sleep at night. You're not a little vampire, you know."

I shake my head at her and smile because Lil' Bean seems to be more active during the night than any other time.

"Edward, I need a word with you before I leave. Can you see me out, please?" I look at Jane and nod my head, and then watch as she gives Seth and Leah their hugs and kisses.

"I'll be right back," I say, kissing Bella before I head out of the office behind Jane.

"I just wanted to tell you that if someone or something unimportant goes AWOL, don't worry. I'm on top of things, and it may be best not say anything to Bella or the kids. I'll try not to let it be for too long."

I look at her confused as she smiles at me.

"Keep this, and when you get a phone call from me, pass it on to Emmett. Make sure you read the name, and use that name when talking to me on the phone." I shake my head, even more confused than before.

"Just follow my instructions. Well, I need to go now. I have a play date to get to. Any messages for her you wish for me to pass on?"

I'm still confused as to what she's talking about. "Jane, what play date are you talking about? I mean, you don't have a kid, do you?"

I hear her chuckle. "No, I don't have a kid, Edward, but I did tell Sue that I would play with her. I'd hate for her to think that I lied to her."

I look at her as she jumps into Garrett's car, and they drive off before I can say anything. "No! No message," I say to no one as I walk back inside to where my Bella Baby is waiting for me.

The rest of the evening goes quickly as we dance and talk to our guests. My mom ends up staying for the remainder of the night. I know that, even though tonight went well, we still have a long way to go. I smile, seeing that Zafrina and Esme are sitting and talking with my mom. It seems she may have made a new friend and rekindled an old friendship as well. As the night goes on, Bella throws her bouquet - which Lucy catches, and Emmett catches the garter. Emmett acts all goofy and wiggles his eyebrows at Lucy. When I look at Bella, I see that she's laughing as she watches them, too. I can see the fire in her eyes, and I know she's proud of her matchmaking skills.

"I think Emmett likes Lucy," I say, wrapping my arms around her now larger waist.

Bella nods her head. "I'm so happy for them. Lucy has been asking me questions about him. And, just the other day, she asked what I thought he would say if she invited him and Cam to join her for a day at the zoo. She's been worried that it may be too soon for him."

I chuckle. "No worries. I have a feeling he's ready. Well, ready for her anyway. The nice thing is that she's already bonded with Cam, so that should make things smoother for all of them." I look back at Bella as she yawns. "How about we call it a night? We'll be up bright and early tomorrow to go away."

She nods her head, so together we walk over to Seth and Leah, who are staying with Carlisle and Esme.

After a tearful goodbye to everyone, we get in the car and head home. I pick Bella up and carry her over the threshold and up the stairs. Moving right to our en-suite, I sit her on the counter and start unbuttoning all the tiny buttons. Once I have her dress undone, I slowly start pulling it off of her. My lips make purchase on each inch of skin I uncover. After kissing her entire body from neck to toes, I stand before her and take in the sight of her in her undergarments.

"Holy crap, baby, how am I supposed to keep control when you look like this?" I ask rhetorically as I start tearing off my tuxedo.

"I guess that's what Chas meant when she said you'd lose it when you saw this."

"Definitely, baby. Definitely!" I say, moving to stand between her legs. The only thing separating us now is the thin cotton of my boxers and the sheer white lace covering her breasts and pussy. "God, baby, I want you so much. You look so beautiful sitting there. I wanted to bathe you and then make love to you all night long, but I just need you so much right now that I don't know if I can wait."

"Don't wait then, my husband. Take me. I am yours," she whispers huskily and it breaks the last string of restraint I have.

I pick her up and carry her to our bed, leaving our discarded clothing on the floor. I place her on the bed and move quickly between her legs. Pushing the material to the side, I thrust my tongue into her wet folds as she screams out my name. As she gets closer to the edge I am pushing her toward, I push two of my fingers inside her. When her hips buck up off the bed, I lightly bite down on her clit. I can feel the pulsing of her walls on my fingers as she reaches her climax. Once she's ridden out her pleasure, I move up her body. Soon, she's pulling me up to kiss her faster and she greedily licks at my mouth, tasting her juices on my lips.

"I need you inside of me," she mewls out as she continues to lick and suck at my mouth.

"There is no other place I'd rather be," I say as I push slowly into my beautiful wife.

**~HCV~**

The next morning, we're up at the crack of dawn and heading to the airport. Carlisle had already checked Bella out, and had okayed her to fly. I was so happy that she was given the all clear. He gave her some special stockings to wear to keep her blood circulating, and told me that I needed to get her to walk around every thirty minutes or so. I'm so excited to get to where we're going, and I know that Bella will love it.

I booked us in First Class because I knew this was her first time flying. She pouted when I asked her to wear her iPod and a pair of blackout glasses so she wouldn't know where we were going. We had a lot of people looking at us strangely, like I was kidnapping her or something, but I couldn't care less. We removed all her things at the security checkpoint, but only after I asked that no one inform her of our destination because it was a surprise. Once we were waiting in the First Class lounge, I removed her dark glasses. So far, she doesn't have a clue. The girls helped too, by packing her bags for her. I wanted everything about our honeymoon to be a surprise to her, and I'm glad that it's working out.

I knew I only needed to keep her iPod going until after the captain announced the flight. It's lucky that she's enjoying a new book series I loaded for her. She looked truly happy. I smile as the flight attendant motions to me that the plane is going to start boarding. Since there aren't any more signs, blocking her sight is unnecessary now. Bella just needs to keep listening to her book.

We board the plane and take our seats. I smile several times at Bella as she looks around in awe at the inside of the plane. I smile to myself as we take off, because Bella is looking out the window in fascination.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I am a MAJOR FAIL at getting review replies sent out and I am very sorry. I am all moved into my new home and I am all hooked up to modern technology once again. Nikky and I will do our best to not have any major delays, she is working on the Epilogue and I am working on the next and final chapter in the story before the Epi. Yes sadly the story is coming to an end, but we want you to know that your love and support has made this story all the better. We have put forth extreme effort to get these chapters to you in a timely manner and if it weren't for a great bunch of gals helping us, that would never have happened. Not everyone helped us each chapter, but each chapter that they did input on was some of the best advice and help we have ever gotten. THANKS to our great helpers, you ladies RAWK HARDCORE! There may or may not be any teasers for the reviews, I am working on it right now. I promise that we will try and do our best. But getting a chapter out to you on time is my main goal and concern. I personally have always answered every review I am able to answer up until about a month ago, and I have a few I need to get done, but rest assured that review replies mean a lot to me. Just as your reviews mean a lot to us... Thank you again for all your love and support. Kasi (&Nikky)  
>PS... join us on facebook at TeamAllTwilight &amp; AndTAT Fan Fiction to hear about upcoming projects and lot of other fun things too.<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**All normal disclaimers apply. Thanks to the great group of ladies who keep us readable.  
>~HCV~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 34: Magic Times <strong>

I look at Bella, who is sound asleep in bed beside me. I smile as I push her hair from her face. I rented us a private villa, and we haven't left the bedroom for longer than thirty minutes all weekend. I know that things will change today, though. She still has no clue where we are. I chuckle to myself, remembering the car ride here and how she looked around trying to work it out. All she knows is that we're still in America.

When my phone beeps, I pick it up and read the text, happy that my first surprise will be here in just over an hour. I get up and head to the kitchen to make Bella breakfast in bed. I listen to music as I fry her eggs and bacon, being extra cautious with my sensitive parts, since I'm not exactly dressed. Ha! The naked chef has nothing on me. Once breakfast is ready, I head back to the room with a tray and place it on the bedside table.

"Baby, it's time to get up," I whisper in her ear.

I watch her smile as she stretches and wakes up. "Hmm, no... too tired. Come back to bed and cuddle with me. Better yet, help me wake up the good way – like you did around three this morning."

I chuckle, shaking my head at her, but stop to kiss her before speaking. "As much as I would love to take you again, baby – over and over – I can't right now. I have a surprise for you, so you need to eat your breakfast and get washed up before it arrives. Because once it's here, I'll be taking you out for the day, and you'll finally know exactly where we are."

She opens her eyes wide and smiles at me. "You got me a surprise?"

I nod my head at her, returning her excited grin. "I know that you are going to love it, too. So please get up and eat this." I point to the breakfast as she looks at it while licking her lips. She sits up and I place the tray over her lap.

"I love it when you make me breakfast in bed," she says. She begins to devour her food; all while humming and moaning as she does. "This is so good! Before we leave for the day, will we have time to call Seth and Leah after I get dressed?"

I shake my head at her, knowing that she misses them so much. I miss them, too, but I know that it's way harder for Bella than it is for me. This has been the longest she's gone without seeing them, and it's just coming up to twelve hours from when she last spoke to them. I kiss her head.

"Esme and Carlisle were taking them out, baby. They won't be able to answer the phone right now." I watch her face drop and it makes me feel bad. I take a deep breath to calm myself, knowing there's less than an hour before her surprise arrives.

"Baby, go on and take a bath and get dressed. I promise that you'll have a good day today." She nods her head at me and then heads toward the bathroom.

"Will you join me?" she asks, biting her lip while looking at me.

I shake my head sadly; denying her is harder than most anything I can imagine. "Sorry, baby, but I can't. I need to set up your surprise."

She gives me a nod and goes into the bathroom. Feeling like an ass, I make my way to the living room. I hear the door open and two bodies jump into my arms right away.

I look down at Seth and Leah, placing my finger against my lips to hush them. I look over to see Carlisle and Esme standing at the door. "Dad, we missed you," Leah whispers to me.

I smile at her. "I missed you both, too. Right now, though, we need to get you set up so I can bring Bella in."

They smile at me as we all get ready. We're almost done when we hear Bella start to move around upstairs. I shush them again when they get excited and start jumping around. I can see that they're ready to bolt up the steps to go see her now, so I tell them to stay where they are and that I'll go get Bella for them. I walk up the steps, open our door, and then watch her as she gets ready. So many times over the weekend I almost gave in and told her that I booked the trip so that the kids could join us. I knew there was no way Bella could go ten days without seeing them, and in truth, I wouldn't be able to either. They're a large part of our family and I would miss them terribly. I'm so happy to have had just Bella and me for the weekend, but now that the kids are here, I feel complete. I know that Bella will feel the same way, so I'm glad I chose to do this. I walk over to her and kiss her neck. "You ready, baby?"

She nods her head at me.

"That's great, because it's time for your surprise."

I watch her smile at me as I help her up. I can't help but notice her frown at the cellphone, and I try holding in my chuckle, knowing that the people she wants to call so badly are just downstairs. I also sigh, realizing that she must be hurting. In just a few minutes, all that hurt and heartache from missing them will be gone and forgotten.

I walk her down the stairs, and when we get to the bottom, she freezes and stares into the living room, where she sees Seth and Leah holding a banner that says 'We love you and missed you!' on it. Bella looks at them, then to me, and then back to them again.

"Wh... wh... what?" I can see the tears form in her eyes as she lets me go and moves to pull them into her arms. "I can't believe that you're here."

I watch them for a few minutes until Bella starts to cry. Shaking my head, I move to her and pull them all into my arms. Jasper already warned me that Bella's emotions might be all over the place because of so much happening all at once.

"They came last night with Carlisle and Esme, and stayed at a hotel. For the rest of our time here, though, they're all staying here. I knew we couldn't have a holiday here and enjoy it without them. We're a family." Bella nods her head and kisses my lips.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Bella asks. I chuckle as they come in and wave, having heard her question. Bella makes her way to them and hugs them.

"Is everyone ready to go? Because it's time to head out." Bella nods her head along with the twins. I chuckle as we all walk to the car. Carlisle sits up front with me, Bella sits in the middle seat with Esme, and the twins sit in the backseat. I listen as Bella asks the twins question after question about things she's missed over the past three days. Carlisle chuckles when Bella asks them about the airplane ride and if they've been good.

"I don't think they are ever bad. They've always been so well behaved," Carlisle adds when the kids tell her they were good.

We all share laughs and talk about things the kids did over the past three days as we make our way to the Magic Kingdom. Once we park, Bella gets out and looks around. I can tell by the look on their faces that the twins know where we are, but Bella still looks confused. "We're at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom."

I raise my eyebrow at her as her face lights up.

"Really?" she asks excitedly.

I nod my head as she places her hand over her wide open mouth. I know that Bella is about to turn twenty but, in a way, she's still a kid at heart. Whenever she saw pictures of this place on TV, she would get so excited about it, and I knew I had to bring her here. When we get to the gate, we give the greeters our tickets and make our way inside.

I see the smile on Bella, Seth, and Leah's faces and I know I made the right choice in bringing them here. This may be our honeymoon, but it's also a family vacation, and the location is perfect. We visit the castles and meet a few of the princesses before having lunch. After lunch, we get to talk to the rest of the princesses, saving the best for last: Princess Belle.

Once we say goodbye to Princess Belle, we walk around so the twins can ride some of the rides. Bella even rode on a few of the tame ones. After supper, we call it a night and we head back to the villa. Tomorrow we're going to spend the entire day at the water park. I have the next week pretty much planned out for us. I bought packages that include tours of Universal Studios, Sea World, The Animal Kingdom, Epcot and, of course, two more days at Disney World.

The next few days fly by as we go on tours and sightseeing adventures. At the amusement parks, Bella goes on as many of the rides as she can. There are a few she can't ride, but Carlisle, Esme, and I take turns sitting with her and taking pictures.

It's the last night here, and we're heading out late to see the fireworks display. We take our seats in the Magic Kingdom on Main Street USA, and listen as the entertainer asks who the best princess is. Everyone around us, including ourselves, shout out the names of their favorite Disney princesses. Leah, Seth, and Bella's eyes go wide as they watch Tinkerbell fly through the sky, dropping her magic fairy dust so everyone can make a wish. When the fireworks go off, they even have me speechless. Tonight was one of the best nights of my life.

Of course Seth and my girls are sound asleep by the time we get back to the villa. Carlisle takes Seth and Esme takes Leah, leaving me to carry Bella. I decide to not wake her up, knowing how long the week has been. I place her softly on the bed before heading to the twin's room to change them into their pajamas. I kiss each of them goodnight, wish them sweet dreams, and tell them that I love them. I can't hold back my smile when I see their faces light up. I almost can't believe that not only does my love for Bella grow stronger every day, but my love for them as well. I can no longer picture my life without them in it, and it's hard to remember my old life before them.

I make my way back to our room to get my baby ready for bed. I'm surprised when I open the door to find that there are candles lit and Bella is lying on the bed with a barely-there lacy thing adorning her body.

"What are you waiting for, Edward? Come here, I need you," she purrs.

"Wow! You look amazing, baby," I say, closing the door. Thank God for pregnancy hormones, because my wife is a hellcat on the sheets right now. I move to the bed and remove my clothing as she watches me. She moans lightly as I remove my last piece of clothing, and I smirk at her, tilting my head to the side. "See something you like, baby?"

"Yes! Fuck me now, shower later," she states as she grabs my hand, pulling me down on the bed.

She straddles me and pulls the tie on the front of her lacy nightgown, making it fall open to reveal my very bare and very horny wife. Before I can even touch her, she impales herself on my cock and starts rocking fast while moaning out my name. I'm so stunned by her forwardness, that I place my hands on her hips and let her have her way with me. As her body nears its release, her moans and grunts get louder. The coil is tightening deep in my stomach, but I know I need to get her off first. I roll us slightly to change our positions enough for her to be comfortable, but to still allow me to really hit her sweet spot. With her on her side and her right leg between mine, I fall to my knees while holding her left leg up. I push back into her and she immediately whimpers in pleasure. Soon I'm moving faster and I can feel her walls contracting around my cock, and the moment I find my release, her walls milk me for every drop.

**~HCV~**

We're all sad when it's time to leave, but I promise them that we'll come back again soon and for much longer next time. I chuckle as both Seth and Leah suggest that Uncle Emmett, Cam, and Lucy should come, too. At that, Esme fills us in on the fact that Emmett and Lucy went on a family date and a normal date, and both went really well.

**~HCV~**

We've only been home a few days when Aro calls to warn me that Matt will be coming over soon. He tells me that Sue is still very much in prison, and that I shouldn't worry when he informs me they've lost her. Aro then explains that Jane is with her, and will call to check in every day.

Matt arrives within an hour of Aro's call, and I put on my best poker face. He informs me that they have no idea where Sue is; just that she disappeared during the night from her locked cell. He adds that no one in the prison has said anything about seeing her leave, which is very unusual. As Matt continues to talk, he tells me about how several of the inmates have been making her life hell. Once they found out what she did to Bella and the twins, the game was on.

After Matt leaves, Bella asks me why he stopped by. I only tell her that he was here to let me know about what's been going on with Sue, and to tell us that she's still securely locked away. She happily nods her head at the news. In truth, I think she knows that Jane is up to something, and is just relieved that Sue can't hurt the twins, our baby or her anymore.

Even with that knowledge, I'm glad when I get a call from Jane two weeks later, asking for Emmett's services. Matt comes back a few days later to say that they found Sue still inside the prison; it seems she had gotten lost. I raised my eyebrow at him and he goes on to describe how Sue looked when they found her. Holding my poker face is a lot harder this time as I hear about how well Jane did on her play-date.

**~HCV~**

Right now I'm at Midnight Sun showing Liam, Bree's father, the ropes. I talked to Taylor and Bella earlier, and decided to cut my hours down to four nights a week. When the baby comes, I only want to come in one or two nights a week tops. Taylor handles most of the day-to-day stuff, but there's also a ton of paperwork to do. When Liam told me that he and his family were moving to Seattle, I offered him the job, knowing that he was still looking for work. Since bookkeeping was something that he had done before, I figured it was a great idea. I knew that he refused to work away from home again, no matter how great the money was.

I'm just walking him though the books when my office door flies open with a bang, and Jane comes barging into my office with Katie.

"You, out!" Jane yells at Liam. "You, sit down!" she snaps as she pushes Katie into a chair.

Liam looks at Jane before looking back at me.

"NOW!" Jane yells.

I nod my head at Liam, who makes his way to the door quickly as Katie stands back up.

"Please... please give me a reason," Jane snarls, glaring directly at Katie, who quickly sits back down. I'm not sure what happened, but it's clear that Jane is not a happy camper.

The door closes behind Liam, and Jane cracks her knuckles while smiling at me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you crazy bitch? Let me go, or I'm calling the police," Katie threatens.

Jane chuckles, although it doesn't sound like she's amused at all. "Go right ahead. In fact, here's my phone. You can use it to make your call. You better hope they get here fast, though."

Katie looks at Jane and rolls her eyes before looking to me. "Are you going to help me or not? Get this fruit loop off of me. I'm one of your valued employees."

Jane laughs which makes me look at her and frown. "Do you really think he'll help after I tell him that YOU –" Jane yells while pushing her pointer finger into Katie's chest, "were one of the ones helping Sue and Harry? That it was because of Sue that you applied for a job here in the first place?

"While you were working at Midnight Sun, your job was to keep tabs on Edward here, and to try to worm your way into his bed. When you told Sue that he was seeing someone with kids, she never even thought of Bella. Even when you told her the kids' first names, she couldn't put two and two together because she didn't even remember their names.

"You did ask Sue to help spilt them up, though, and even gave her Gina's name as someone who could help. You told her that Gina knew Edward, as well as the girl he was seeing that had the kids. It was through that meeting that Sue got the information on how to get around the college security. Gina had pictures and Bella's full name, which she gladly handed over to Sue. When Sue found out that Edward was with Bella, she blew her stack. Of course, Gina was more than happy to pass along Paul's name as someone who would not only willingly hurt Bella, but buy her, as well."

"WHAT?" I scream out as both of them turn to me. Jane looks almost sympathetic.

"Yes. It seems that Katie here has been talking to Sue for a while now... way before she ever even walked through your door. At some point, she gave Gina's name to Sue. Gina told Sue about how much Paul wanted Bella and what little she knew about Aro and his business. Well, anyway, that's why I came back earlier than planned. I wanted to get my hands on this one before she did anything else or tried to get away. After I have some fun with her, I'll be going after Gina. Even from Italy, she was in on it all, including providing copies of keys and such to Sue so that she could access the maintenance tunnel at the college."

Katie looks to be in a bit of a panic. "You can't let her hurt me! I didn't do anything. I just told Sue what you were up to and where you would be. I really like you, and I know I would be so much better for you than that girl you're seeing. She's not even that pretty."

I shake my head, fighting back the urge to strike her. "That girl is my wife, you twit! I think you should go with Jane," I say, slamming my hand down flat on the desk.

Katie starts crying, which makes Jane laugh. "Oh, please. You're not even at the top of my list, but keep pushing your luck by pissing me off, and I might just move you up a few slots. You are a sad, stupid, little girl who needs to be punished for what you've done, and I'm going to see to it that you will be. But, don't worry, you'll come out alive. I need your help, so you're going to work for me. You see, Sue's in need of a new roommate..."

Katie looks at her and sputters. "Ba... ba... but..."

Jane shakes her head. "NO! There are no buts about it! I will kill you if you don't do as I say, do you understand? I have no problems with that at all. You'll do what I ask, when I ask it. If you're lucky, you'll get to keep your face all nice and pretty, too," Jane says as she uses both her hands to slap either side of Katie's face.

Katie nods her head in reluctant agreement, so Jane texts someone. A few minutes later, Garrett comes in and takes Katie away.

I shake my head as I look at Jane. "Welcome back, Jane."

She turns and smiles at me.

"So, about Sue?"

She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders. "I hear she got lost in prison."

I nod my head and give her a pointed look.

"Oh, for the love of Christ! Come on, Edward. What do you think happened? You think I went so far as to get myself arrested and then bribed the judge so he would put me in Sue's cell, don't you? Then, what? You think I kidnapped her and bribed half the prison to keep quiet?

"Wait. Let me guess... you think I kept Sue hidden in the cellar of the prison. I bet you even think I shaved off all her hair – and I do mean all her hair – and removed her fingernails and toenails. I suppose you think I used a razor pen to carve fine line slashes all over her body. Next you'll assume I threw a large amount of rubbing alcohol on her and continued slashing her.

"Hell, you probably even think I made her dig a six foot trench that was four feet wide. And I'm willing to bet you think I did everything I could to make it so she didn't get any sleep for days on end. I suppose you also think I fed her one piece of moldy bread every other day, and only allowed her to drink dirty water from the floor. You probably even think I refused to let her out of the trench to use the toilet. I mean, why would you think all of those nasty things about me? I'm such a loving person, after all."

I swallow hard and look at Jane to see her smirk. "If you think all that, well hell, Edward, you'd be spot on. I was letting her out for our weekly chat when she slipped up and spilled the beans about Gina and Katie. I immediately made plans to come back. Still, I enjoyed my play date with her so much that I'm going back again soon. I need to finish up, anyway. The only reason Katie gets to live is because I'll need her to help me out when I return. I need to ensure a way in without having to get arrested again. I'm not a fan of being restrained. I like to be the one doing the restraining, you know?"

I look at her in shock. "What did you do?"

She smiles at me. "It was simple, really, and Irina is still going on about the judge being a kinky old man. I heard how he had really fast recovery, even after the sixth round. She should be thanking me since she hasn't had that much sex within twenty-four hours in a long time. Well... not the kind she really likes, anyway."

I shake my head, trying to think through things as Jane just grins at me.

"Well, I need to go deal with Katie, and then there's a bitch that needs to be spayed over in Italy. See you later!" Jane puts on her glasses and walks out of my office.

I chuckle, knowing that Jane really enjoys doing things like this. I think the only time I see her genuinely smile is when she's looking at Bella and the kids, or when she's doing things of this nature. I realize, for a second, how morbid my thoughts are. But then I remember what Sue put Bella, Tanya, and several other people through. I know that no matter how bad the things are that Jane does, it will be nowhere near as horrid as what Sue and Harry have done. Not to mention, I know Jane will never be cruel to an innocent person like Sue was.

Liam comes in after Jane has been gone for a few minutes, and I tell him why Jane was so upset. As soon as I tell him that Katie was helping Sue and Harry, he almost smirks. His only comment is that he hopes that Katie gets a small taste of what Harry put his little girl through. I nod my head in agreement, knowing that what Harry did to Bree still upsets him. Bree is a wonderful girl, but she still has a long road ahead of her to heal completely.

**~HVC~**

It's now the first week in December, and I'm really looking forward to Christmas with our family. Jane came back ten days after leaving my office, and all she said was that Gina had been taken care of and wouldn't be causing us anymore problems. I was surprised when I got to work two days later and saw Jane in Marcus's office. He told me that Jane would be taking over as his secretary. My first reaction was to worry, but after a week or two, I noticed that the other professors, and even the students, had stopped hitting on me.

It was the third week of school when Lauren Mallory came slinking her way toward me as a freshman. Only God knows how she managed to pass high school, or get into this college for that matter. I had ordered her to leave my office after she hit on me again, and the moment she stormed off, I received a text from Bella saying that she was outside and was feeling a little sick. I was making my way out to her when I saw Jane holding Lauren up against a wall, whispering in her ear. It was then that I realized that Jane had been threatening anyone who hit on me. I chuckled at the sight and kept walking to meet Bella. I realized in that moment that it was a good thing for Jane to work here. I was finally able to do my job and not have to deal with trashy, married women or sleep-our-way-to-the-top students.

Bella was in most of the same classes as Bree, and they had become really good friends. Even Riley had started to hang out with them. At first I was little worried, until I saw how he looked at Bree, and then I knew who had caught his eye.

On her first day, Bella was checked out a lot. Especially when I kissed her outside of her first class. I couldn't help but smile as I walked to my own class, and by the end of the day, everyone knew that she was my wife and was carrying my child. Thankfully, that kept most of the college boys from hitting on her.

Everyone except for hard-headed, thick-skulled Mike Newton, at least. The same Mike that I used to like and had taught in the past. The same Mike that I have as a student again this year. He hit on her almost every day for two months. I warned him to back off, but even that didn't work. In the end, I went to Jane with my tail tucked between my legs and asked for help. She smiled at me, asking why it took me so long to come to her, and all I could do was roll my eyes. The next day, I saw that Mike steered clear of Bella. So, that evening, I bought Jane a small, antique knife as a thank you.

Lucy and Emmett are now boyfriend and girlfriend. Things seem to be going great between them, too. They've been on several dates now, and Lucy and Cam get along really well. Lucy has become very much a part of our family.

Taylor and Sally started dating soon after the wedding. Taylor has recently met her son, and they really get along, which I know makes Sally happy. She has stopped working at Aro's, and only helps him with the new girls on occasion. Her main job now is working for me as a hostess at Midnight Sun. I must admit that she's doing a great job, and for some unknown reason, she's the one who makes the most in tips out of all the staff.

Jane and Garrett are trying to make a go of things, too. Jane never had sex with any of the clients. She was mainly there to provide a dominatrix service to members of the club. She only saw the men and women who wanted to be dominated by a woman. If the men or women wanted sex afterwards, they were set up with girls like Irina, who liked kink. Jane still does four hours per week at the club and, I think in a way, Garrett understands that she needs this as part of her life. Then again, Garrett was always one of her best customers.

Alice and Jasper announced last week that Alice is three months pregnant. We're all extremely happy for them because they've been trying off and on for four years now. Alice has settled in quite nicely, and seems to be more like herself again. She's spent a lot of time with Bella, Chas, Sally, Jane, and some of the other girls lately. I believe that these friendships are helping her to see herself more clearly than ever before.

Seth and Leah have settled into their new school, too, and have made loads of new friends. The teachers and parents have taken to us all quite well, and Bella has made other 'mom' friends. The twins have grown more and more excited about the baby coming as time has passed. Most nights they sit next to Bella and read their favorite stories to Lil' Bean. They always get super excited when they feel the baby kick. Bella and I have attended every appointment together. About every third appointment, the twins have attended, too. We wanted them to feel like they are a part of the whole process.

Since the wedding, Bella has been calling Esme 'Mom', and Carlisle 'Dad.' She chose to call Zafrina 'Mama', and Aro 'Papi', which they both love. She also calls my mother 'Nanna Liz.' The first time she called my mother that, I watched as Liz's face lit up. Seth and Leah followed Bella's example and began to call her 'Nanna', too.

The twins took the news like champs when they found out that Liz was my mom, and they welcomed her with open arms. I'm happy to say that my relationship with her is getting better each day, too. I still constantly find myself going to Esme when I need a mother-and-son talk, though. Jasper reminds me that I don't need to feel guilty about that because it's still very early in the mending process for my mom and me.

My mother moved into Bella's old apartment last month, and I'm grateful because Zafrina and Aro both watch out for her. Carlisle helped to get her a job as a secretary at the hospital, which she really enjoys. Overall, she's doing really well. I honestly don't remember ever seeing her do this well, and I'm happy that she's happy.

Right now I'm teaching my freshmen class, and I'm about to go though some test questions when my door bursts open. I turn to yell at the person for not knocking, but stop when I see Bree standing there.

"Edward," she gasps out breathlessly as the class all starts making wow noises, knowing that I don't allow people to call me by my first name. "Sorry, it's Bella - she's gone into labor; her water just broke."

I look at Bree stupidly. "Bree, she has two weeks left. She can't go into labor yet."

Bree gives me a look that basically says 'you're an idiot', and turns to address my class. "Okay, class, the professor here needs to go and deal with his wife, so class is dismissed."

The class looks to me for confirmation, and I'm about to speak when I hear Bella groan in pain. I run to the door and see Riley standing there with Bella, who is leaning up against the wall, panting. She looks at me, and I see that she's afraid.

"It's not helping," she pants.

I quickly close the distance between us and scoop her up. Her dress is wet, and I start to panic. I walk back into the classroom and make my way to my office. "Class is over!" I shout as I walk in and lay Bella on my couch.

As I pick up my cell to call Carlisle, Riley looks at me. "I'll be back soon," he says and then walks out. I glance at Bree to see if she knows where he's going, but she just shrugs her shoulders as she watches him leave.

"I'll go and ask Jane to let people know that you won't be in classes the rest of today." I nod my head at her as Carlisle answers the phone.

"Edward, why aren't you in class?"

I watch as another contraction hits Bella, and when I see the tears running down her face, I reach up to wipe them away. "Bella's gone into labor. Her water broke, and she's in a lot of pain," I rush out.

I hear Carlisle chuckle a little. "I'm sure she'll be fine but bring her in. Labor with first-time moms can take a while, Edward. You're going to have to calm down, all right?"

I sigh and rub my face as I watch while Bella is hit with yet another contraction.

"How far apart are her contractions?" I glance at my watch and then up at Bella, who is panting and rubbing her belly.

"She got here less than five minutes ago. She had one when she first arrived, and she's had another two since." I stop when I see her face fill with pain again. "Well, three now."

I hear Carlisle gulp. "Edward, I need you to cheek to see if you can see anything."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

I hear him sigh. "Remove her panties and see if you can see the baby."

I feel my face drain and I'm the one swallowing hard this time. "Baby, I need to see if the baby is coming, okay?"

She nods her head at me.

"I'm gonna pass the phone to Bella so you can talk to her while I check," I tell Carlisle before passing over my phone and pushing Bella's dress up. She lifts her bottom up so I can remove her soaked panties as she talks to Carlisle. When I look, I have to close my eyes and quickly count to ten in my head. There's no way Bella will make it to the hospital before the baby arrives.

I hold my hand out and she passes the phone back to me. "Shit, Carlisle! She looks ready to have it any time. You need to get here, now! I mean, how can she have the baby here?"

My office door opens, and Riley walks back in with a bag of stuff. "I borrowed all this form the biology department. It's all sterilized and should be okay to use."

I smile at him, realizing that when he said he 'borrowed' them, he actually meant he 'took' them. Still, I take the bag from him and look inside to see everything wrapped in plastic.

"Carlisle, I have some stuff here. It looks like a set of biology scissors and clamps, all still in sterilized packages. There are also several bottles of sterilized water and a few bags of other things."

Bella screams out in pain. "Edward, I feel like I have to push!"

I kiss Bella's head and try taking a deep breath. "Carlisle, she says she needs to push."

"I'm with the EMTs now and we're on our way, but I don't think we'll get there in time. It sounds like she's already crowning. Put the call on speakerphone, and I'll talk you through the steps." I press a button to turn on the speakerphone, and then Riley takes the phone from me to hold. He sits near Bella's head, faces her, and takes hold of her hand.

"Bella, you can squeeze my hand as hard as you want."

I chuckle and shake my head. "Okay. What do I do first, Dad?"

I look at Bella as I speak, winking at her. "Bella, on your next contraction I need you to push as hard as you can, okay? And stop pushing when the contraction stops, or when Edward tells you to. Edward, tell her to stop when you see the baby's head."

We all nod our heads like he can see us. It takes until the forth contraction to see our baby's head.

"Baby, stop. I see the head." Bella pants while looking at me and Riley wipes away the sweat that has beaded on her forehead.

"Edward, I need you to check the baby's neck to make sure the cord isn't wrapped around it." Bella's eyes widen as I quickly check.

"No, the cord's not there."

Bella close her eyes and whispers 'thank God' over and over again.

"Good. Okay, Bella, this is the last time, Little One. On the next contraction, give a big push and then you'll have your own little one."

Bella starts to push again as Carlisle finishes talking, and I help our baby join this world. Once our little girl is out, I smile. "She's out, baby. She's out."

Bella looks at me and smiles as our daughter cries for the first time.

"Well, I can hear her. How does she look? What is her color?"

I smile. "Our little Renee Elizabeth looks pink and beautiful," I say with tears in my eyes. I smile as I place a soft kiss on her head.

"Okay, before you pass her to her mom, I want you to use the clamps. Wash your hands with the sterilized water first, and then clamp the first one a few inches away from Renee, and the other about an inch or so farther than that. Next, carefully use the scissors to cut the cord between the two clamps." I do as he says and then wrap baby Renee up in the clean, white button-down I had in my desk drawer. I pass Renee to Bella, who is crying still. I can tell it's a mixture of happy tears and fearful ones.

"Edward, I feel the need to push again."

I look at her and frown, wondering why that would be until I hear Carlisle speak. "That's fine, Bella. It's just the after-birth. It has to come out now, too. One quick push and everything should come out without too much trouble. Edward, don't pull on it. We're just pulling up, so I'll see you all in a few minutes."

Bella gives another push and, like Carlisle said, the after-birth came right out. I get up and move to Bella's head so I can hug her as we look at our daughter: Renee Elizabeth Masen.

I smile and kiss them both on the head as Riley watches.

"She's beautiful."

My smile widens at his words. "Thank you."

He smiles at me with a goofy grin. "Does this mean I get an A no matter what I hand in to you?"

I raise my eyebrow at him and he chuckles.

"It was worth a shot."

The door opens, and Carlisle walks in with the EMTs. He checks Bella and Renee over, and I watch him tell Bella he's proud of her and that she did a great job. After checking her over, he determines that she will need to have a couple small sutures. He asks if she wants them now or later, and Bella says now. Carlisle pulls out everything he'll need and gets to work. The EMTs had wheeled in a gurney, and after Carlisle was done with the stitches, they placed Bella on it. Bella's arms were wrapped around Renee, who was already latched on to her mother's breast. It took Bella a good five minutes to stop wincing in pain from Renee's strong suckling.

As Bella is wheeled out, I see Jane and Bree smile as they clap silently. Other students have come out and are standing in the hallway watching us. I see Bella blush because she's not really one for a show, but at least she's pretty much covered. I throw my jacket over her anyway to give her and our daughter, who is still nursing, more privacy.

"I'm going to count to five and any student that doesn't answer to the name of Bree or Riley better not be in this hallway. ONE!" Jane shouts. I chuckle as the entire hallway clears before she's even done saying the number. I face her and mouth a silent 'thank you' to her. She rolls her eyes at me and mouths 'big knife this time' before giving me a toothy grin.

Renee weighs in at six pounds ten ounces, and is eighteen inches long. She's below average in size, but is a rather large baby for someone of Bella's size. Seth and Leah come to meet their new sister, and start calling her Remy immediately. The nickname is catchy, and by the end of the day, everyone is calling her Remy.

Seth and Leah were more than pleased when they were given a welcome gift from Remy. Bella and I had talked about it a few weeks ago and decided that their new baby sibling would give them a certificate for horseback riding lessons. I chuckle as I hear Seth talking about how he's going to dress as a cowboy when he goes, and that Leah should dress as a cowgirl.

After talking it out with Bella, Seth and Leah, we decide that the twins will go with Carlisle and Esme for the night. I, of course, am staying here with Bella and Remy. Bella and I kiss the twins goodnight and tell them we love them. I walk them to Carlisle's car, help them in, and watch as they roll their eyes at me, telling me to get back to Bella and Remy.

It's a good thing I did, too, because one of the staff, who didn't read Carlisle's notes, was in the room with my girls. Carlisle, Jasper, and I talked, and we all felt that Bella would not want to be separated from the baby at all. Jasper said she wouldn't fully understand why the nurse would want to come and take the baby to the nursery. He was worried she may see it as she had done something wrong. Carlisle told Bella about everything, but when Bella told him that she didn't want the baby staying in the nursery, Carlisle promised that no one would take our baby away unless we asked.

Needless to say, it's a surprise when I get back to the room to find a nurse trying to take Remy to the nursery while Bella is panicking. Bella informs me that she told the nurse she wanted Remy to stay with her, but the nurse just picked Remy up anyway and tried to leave the room just as I got here. It becomes clear that this nurse hasn't read the notes in Bella's chart, and she just shakes her head at Bella, telling her she's being unreasonable. I end up taking Remy from the nurse and kindly asking her to come with me.

I give Remy back to Bella and I walk the nurse out to the nurses' station to call Carlisle. He's still in the car, but Esme puts it on hands free. I watch the nurse go pale as Carlisle makes it very clear that as soon as he's home, he'll be calling back, and that she is not to enter Bella's room again. He also makes it clear that he will be talking to the head nurse.

A few hours later, the head nurse comes along, offering Bella an apology and telling us that the other nurse has been sent home. She also informs us that she will personally make sure that the rest of the staff read all the notes before entering the room.

**~HCV~**

Remy is one year old today, and it's been quite a year. My baby girl is very much her mother's child. She and Bella are alike in so many ways; she even has Bella's beautiful eyes. I've enjoyed watching her grow and seeing all her firsts. It's made me a little sad, though, because it reminded me of just how much I missed of Seth and Leah's first year.

Remy brought out a lot of feelings for Seth and Leah. They came to me when Remy was four months old and said that they didn't fully understand why Bella didn't treat Remy different than them. They told me how Bella always treated them the same and loves them just as much. This was the turning point for all three of them. They finally fully understood that Bella was, and has always been, very much their mom in every way that matters.

After we all talked it out, Seth and Leah began calling Bella, 'Mom.' Bella was even able to legally adopt them as her own children without so much as a hearing. We just signed some papers and filed them with the court.

As for nicknames, they all seem to fall into place. Seth was and will always be my Little Man, and Leah is my Princess. Remy soon became my Butterfly, because every time we went out, a butterfly would land near her, and she would watch it with fascination. Alice and Jasper had a baby girl, too, and named her Corin, but I call her Serenity. She is such a quiet baby that you would forget she's there if not for her bubbly mother who's always close by.

We also added to our family by getting poor lonely Jake a mate. We bought a female lizard that the kids named Nessie. They said she reminded them of some drawings they saw of the Loch Ness Monster while at school. Jake is happy now, and his Nessie has replaced the poor bunny that he used to hump all the time.

Right now, Bella, the kids, Emmett, Lucy, Cam and I are on a winter holiday together. I knew that if I wanted Seth and Leah to experience this, we had to come this year because once they get a little older, they might not believe in Santa anymore. I showed Bella the picture of Lapland, and she lit up and agreed that we needed to bring them here.

Once Emmett found out, he asked if he could come along. He and Lucy are still together, and growing stronger every day. Even last month, when we found out that Rose was getting married to Royce, Emmett said that he was happy for her. He also mentioned he loved that she gave him his first son, but his thankfulness of having Cam is all he feels for her now. Jasper, on the other hand, was quite upset, especially since she didn't tell him about it or even invite him to her wedding. We all can clearly see that Jasper misses his sister a lot.

I watch as Seth and Leah jump up and down when they see Santa and his sleigh coming our way. I booked a ride on it for our family. Emmett, Lucy, and Cam are going on a ride later in the week. I help my family in as Leah and Seth sit next to Santa, while Bella, Remy and I sit behind them. I make sure that everyone is wrapped up and warm as the sleigh takes off. A smile takes over my face as I listen to the kids babble about what they want for Christmas. Their excitement about being pulled around in the sleigh with Santa is amazing.

**~HCV~**

It's our last night here, and I see everyone lying on the bed together. Leah is on Bella's right with her hand resting on Remy's back. Remy is nestled into Bella's chest with Bella's arms wrapped around her. Seth is on Bella's left side with his hand on top of both Bella's and Leah's. I smile and take a picture before getting changed for bed. After I kiss each person on the head, I lay behind Leah and place my arm around my whole family.

As I lay here and think over the past few years, one thing is abundantly clear to me. This past year with Bella and the kids – as my wife and my family – has taken away all the darkness that once clouded my sight.

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><p><strong>AN: Well now there you have it that is the end of the story as a whole... there is an epilogue coming that I am currently working on right now. At this point it should post next Thursday, barring any writers block today. Nikky and I are both so very honored and excited about the fact that we are so close to the 5000 review mark on FFN, and 1000 review mark on TWCS. Even the reviews at Twilighted are going great, but they are a few chapters behind us here. So thanks everyone and we are so happy to hear your thoughts and be sure to let us know what closure you want for the epilogue... you still have time to get things in there. Oh there will be some closure with Rose. **


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight still belong to Stephenie Meyer, all things HIS CIMMERIAN VIEW belong to WeeKittyAndTAT.**

**Please read the ending note at the bottom, there are some special messages and information below.**

**~HCV~**

***Yes we know that currently no dorms are co-ed where a sister and brother share a dorm room, but this is almost ten years in the future, and it is a fictional story. We have tried throughout HCV to be dead on accurate on info enclosed, so please don't shoot us for the addition of this fictional info***

**~HCV~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 35: Welcome to the Masen family<strong>

**Almost ten years later...**

I look around the dorm apartment, knowing that Bella and I are about to leave Seth and Leah here. I smile as I hang the large photo collage that Bella put together for them up on the common room wall. After it's hanging properly, I look at it and see all the different memories that have been captured over the last nine and half years.

The first memory was a month after we arrived back from Santa's Lapland in the UK: we discovered that we had brought another family member back with us. Yeah, we managed to get pregnant again. I was so glad when that pregnancy was a lot easier for Bella. I still believe that it was because there wasn't as much stress on Bella or our family.

I chuckle, remembering the day the twins ran into my office shouting that the baby was coming. Bella went into labor almost three weeks early, and for the second time, I was the one who delivered our child. We welcomed our son into the world on September the eleventh, two days before Bella's twenty-second birthday. We picked out the name Anthony for his first name, and since we couldn't come up with a middle name, we used both Emmett and Jasper's names. That means Anthony has two middle names. We all call him AJ for short, and he is my little buddy. AJ has the strangest eye color. He has my bright green, with flecks of Bella's chocolate brown throughout. It was almost like the green and brown couldn't decide, so they made a combination instead.

It was just after AJ's birth when Bella approached me, saying we didn't need the money she got from her second inheritance. She said it was doing no good sitting in the bank, and she wanted to do something useful with it. She asked if we could use it to open a school for adults to further their education. Her idea was to help people who were like her; individuals who hadn't gotten a lot of schooling and had no money or resources to get it now. We talked to the family and to Marcus, and a year later, Bella cut the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony.

The Masen Educational Center opened, and I was surprised to find that a lot of professors from the college had volunteered to help us. We ended up with ten teachers volunteering and thirty people attending the first year. The age range of the people attending classes was diversified – our youngest was seventeen, and the oldest was forty-five. The second year we were open, our numbers jumped by leaps and bounds. We started receiving funds through donations and non-profit fundraisers. We finally hired a staff of twelve, and our classroom groupings rose to six classes of twenty.

Last year we opened two more schools; these went into higher risk neighborhoods that had a lot of gang members and low income families. I was angry when I found out that Bella had gone, on her own, to see what needed to be done to the one building in a particularly bad area of town. That night she came home and we had the biggest argument ever. She stood her ground and asked how I could expect other people to work in the school if I was not allowing my wife to go there. She also explained how she wanted to talk to the kids around there and see what she could do to encourage them to attend.

Bella and I didn't talk for two days, and neither one of us was backing down. On the third day, I found that she had gone again to help paint some of the classrooms, and I was livid. When I arrived, I was stunned to see that she had a lot of the younger people helping her. There were obviously different gang members around, and several other undesirable people there. Some of the people stopped and spoke to me, telling me how special my wife was.

One of the guys helping came up to me and explained how they'd had a street meeting, and that all of the gangs and people from the neighborhood agreed that Bella's school was a safe zone for everyone. He also went on to say that he was so happy to see that someone cared about the people in the neighborhood, because he had lost hope in humanity long ago. I smiled at him and looked to Bella as she kept talking and painting with the others, and agreed that she was special.

I felt like shit for the rest of the day as I dug in and got dirty helping. I had a lot to make up for because, once again, I had been an ass to my wife. That night, I made up with her, telling her that I was sorry and begging for her forgiveness. I still don't fully understand how she was able to reach so many people in the area, but this year the intake numbers are higher than ever before. The state funded a back to school program for the people applying for welfare. Now they are sending us uneducated people for job skills training, too.

Seth and Leah have changed a lot over the years, too. They both help with Remy, who is now ten, and AJ, who is eight. They take the roles of being a big sister and a big brother very seriously. AJ idolizes Seth, and will often ask him how he looks. He even tries to get his hair to sit like Seth's does.

The other children in our extended family all look up to Seth and Leah, too. Often when we have large family dinners, the younger children get entertained by Seth, Leah, and Sammy.

I chuckle, thinking of Jasper and Alice's daughter, Corin. She loves Seth and hangs on every word he says. Seth is always careful when talking to her; he knows that she is nine years younger than him. Corin is the quiet one out of all the children in the family, and is still very much my Serenity. We often find her in a corner, reading stories that are well above her age. Seth is always the first to sit and talk to her, and he often takes her to his music room and plays his piano as she sits there reading.

Cam and Remy have a strong bond, too. They are the best of friends, and there have been times when one has been ill or hurt and the other has felt it. I've always told Bella that Emmett and I would have grandchildren to share, and I will always believe that, but it better not be for a very long time!

I remember when Leah went through a time where her moods were all over the place. One minute she would be happy and laughing, and then the next she was screaming and bursting into tears. I was completely stumped as to what was going on with her, and was once again grateful for the women in the family who came and talked to both Bella and I, helping us to figure out what was going on. Bella felt sad that it hadn't clicked for her about what the problem was with Leah, but female problems are tough to deal with no matter what, and with the pill, Leah was definitely better off.

Bella and I had talked to Leah before we took her to see a female gynecologist, and I know she was a little put off. I'm sure having her father there, talking about 'woman' stuff was embarrassing, but I wanted her to know that I was there for her no matter what the issue was. I told her that if she needed to talk, or needed anything to help her, that she could come to me. It only took a few months for Seth and me to figure out when to buy Leah ice cream and chocolate. The pills she was put on helped her with the serious mood swings, but she still had what Seth called the 'exorcist' moments at times.

Leah has gone on a few dates with guys, but only ever had one boyfriend so far, and that was Paul. I thought then, and still think now, that Paul is an ass. I was so proud of both Seth and Sammy when I found out they kicked his ass for cheating on Leah. He told them the only reason he did it was because she refused to sleep with him.

Seth has yet to have a girlfriend. Like Leah, he has gone on dates, but nothing has ever come from that. It's not that no one wants him – quite the opposite actually. I really don't know how many times I've answered the door to a girl handing me cookies, candies, muffins, and even flowers for him. But Seth never seems to be interested in any of the girls at his school. Everyone says he's like me, and he's just waiting for that one girl.

There have been many changes throughout our extended family, as well. The first being nine years ago when my mother and Zafrina knocked down the adjoining wall between their apartments to make one big one. They have been happy living as roommates since then. I can't express how thankful I am to Zafrina; because I know that she helps my mom out a lot. Thankfully, my mom seems to have calmed down quite a bit, and has only had one relapse in the past ten years.

We still don't really have a typical mother-son relationship, though. She's my mom and I love her, but we seem to have fallen into more of a friendship than anything else. I honestly believe that it makes things easier on her and allows her to relax around me more. I know a huge part of her breakdowns were attributed to her constant worry that she wasn't good enough to care for me. Once that burden was removed from her, she was able to get help and get well.

I let my eyes wander over the photos in the collage that I just hung, stopping on all the different wedding photos. I chuckle as my mind goes back six years to what we all classify as the wedding year. First it was Taylor and Sally, then Emmett and Lucy, next was Riley and Bree, and finally Jane and Garrett – all of which were within a ten month period, and Bella, the children, and I were in all of them.

Then, the next year was the baby year, or rather 'the year of many babies.' Taylor and Sally had a baby girl and named her Ava. Then came twins from Bree and Riley; they are named Adam and Megan. Next was a girl for Emmett and Lucy, who they named Maria after Bella. The biggest surprise was when Jane walked in with a one year old girl named Emily.

Emily's mother, Sophia, came and begged for a job from Aro. He refused, seeing that she was an addict and was in an abusive relationship. Jane tried in vain to help Sophia, but late one night, she turned up at Jane and Garrett's and asked Jane if she could watch Emily for her. Sophia never returned, and was found dead in her apartment by Garrett three days later. She had been beaten and had a needle stuck in her arm. Her abusive partner, who was Emily's father, was found hanging in the other room. The police said that he killed himself after finding Sophia dead.

Emily was just over a year old when everything happened, and Jane fought tooth and nail to keep her. We could all see that she loved Emily very much and were glad when she and Garrett were allowed to adopt her. Emily is now a healthy six year old.

Three years ago was the hardest on most of us. Bella had been looking worried and stressed for a couple of days. She had gone to bed before me each night, so I couldn't ask her what was going on. I planned to call into work so I could get to the bottom of the issue the following morning, especially after three long nights of worrying. That night, though, I woke to find Bella having a nightmare – the first one in years. I begged her to tell me what was wrong, and sat in silence as she told me what had happened.

She had gone to the Breakaway Hotel to drop off the paintings that the owner had purchased from her, and while she was there, she saw Rose. She told me about how Rose looked, and that she was dressed in a chambermaid uniform. Then she told me that she had walked right up to Rose, who looked ashamed. Bella had asked her to join her for lunch, and after a lot of persuasion on Bella's part, Rose finally agreed. Once they got to a restaurant, Rose filled Bella in on what had happened after she and Emmett split up.

It turns out that Royce had a drinking and gambling problem, and would often hit Rose. When she could no longer take it, she walked out and filed for a divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and spousal abuse. Rose went on to say that her grandmother was angry with her, and said that it was her fault that Royce hit her because she failed to give him an heir and do her wifely duties. During the divorce, Rose found out that he used all her money gambling, and that there was nothing left. All of Royce's family money belonged to his parents, so she got nothing in the end. Since her grandmother was no longer speaking to her, she had no one and nothing anymore. The chambermaid job was the only one she could get.

She had been working there for over two years. Bella asked why she didn't go to Jasper, Carlisle or Esme, and Rose simply said that she was ashamed about what she had done. Rose asked Bella not to say anything to anyone. She was happy that Emmett had moved on, and she was really fine on her own. Bella told me that she was upset with Rose for not even asking about Cam once, so she did as Rose asked and walked away from the meeting, forgetting that she even saw her.

It wasn't until the next day that Bella found out why Rose hadn't asked about Cam. When Bella had gone to collect Cam, Remy, and AJ from school, she decided that since it was nice out, she would take them to the park to play. The kids were happily playing on the slide and the swings as Bella sat off to the side on a bench. She said that when she was snapping random pictures for the picture book she was working on, she noticed Rose standing off to the side, watching the kids play.

She walked up to Rose to ask her what she was doing, but Rose tried to get away. Bella told her that if she didn't explain why she was there, not only would she tell me about their meeting, she would tell Emmett, too. Rose finally told her that she missed Cam and just wanted to see him from time to time. That was when Cam shouted out to Bella, calling her what he always calls her – Mama Bee. She said that after hearing that, Rose asked her once more not to tell me or Emmett before she began to cry and walk away quickly.

I was angry by the time Bella had finished speaking. I couldn't believe, trust, or even begin to understand what Rose was up to. I was still upset that she chose to walk out on Emmett the way she did. Not to mention her not talking to Jasper – her own brother, or to Carlisle and Esme, who treated her like a daughter. It galled me to know that she didn't want to speak to Emmett about Cam, or even want to be a part of her son's life in the beginning. And now that she has nothing left, she suddenly cares enough to watch him from afar.

That was not fair to Cam; he should have the right to choose for himself if she ever sees him, and she was taking that right from him. I knew that some of my anger came from my own childhood and what I have felt about the choices my mom made. With everything running through my mind, I went to see Rose the next day, and what I saw stopped me in my tracks.

The woman before me was nothing like the woman I remembered or was brought up with. The Rose I saw looked overly thin, tired, hurt, and alone. Her blond hair was now dull and looked grey. As I looked at her wearing the chambermaid uniform with her hair tied back, I had a flash of Bella way back when I had stalked her. What I saw made all the anger leave my body. I watched her eyes go wide as she saw me. The woman staring back at me was so unlike the old Rose that I actually had to blink a few times to be sure it was her. I tried to give her a small smile as she walked over to me, obviously scared of how I might react.

"She told you?" I raise my eyebrow at her and she shakes her head. "Please, Edward, don't tell Emmett," she sniffs.

"When do you get a break, Rose?"

She looks at me while saying, "My lunch is in ten minutes."

I nod my head at her. "I'll meet you outside in my car." I don't wait for her to reply before I exit the building. Fifteen minutes later, we're sitting in a nearby cafe.

She tells me the same story she told Bella, and I look at her and sigh. "Rose, I'm sorry for what you've been through, but I will be telling Emmett." She starts to argue with me but I hold my hand up. "Not about what you've been through with Royce and your grandmother, but about you watching Cam. Emmett and Lucy are his legal parents. You signed away your rights years ago because you didn't want your son; Emmett has a right to know. I also want to say something, and I mean this in the kindest way possible, what you're doing is selfish, Rose. You have no right to watch him like you have been. It should be up to Cam and his parents to decide what you know about and when you see him. You looking into his life and watching him, even from afar, is wrong. You gave up that right long ago. If you truly love him, then let him be the one to decide if you can be a part of his life. If he says no, then you need to back away."

I watch Rose begin to cry. "He... he's my son – was mine – what will I be to him? Do you know how hard it was for me to hear him call Bella, Mama Bee? And the woman Emmett's is with? He calls her mom or mommy!"

I chuckle as I shake my head. "That woman's name is Lucy, and she has legally adopted Cam. She is his mom. She loves him just the same as if she gave him life, and you should know that Cam loves her, too. As for Bella, you should be grateful for her. You have no idea what all she did for Emmett and Cam when you walked away from them. When it comes to Cam, you need to be whatever he asks you to be, and stop being selfish. Put Cam first for once." I throw a twenty on the table to cover the bill, get up, and walk away. I knew it was time to go, because I can only see myself hurting her more.

The next day I told Emmett, and the few weeks after that were hard on everyone. Emmett agreed that since Cam was a very smart eight-year-old, he had the right to choose what happened next. Cam went to see Rose, and they spent some time together. They began slowly building up a relationship. Rose was upset that Cam quickly told her outright that Lucy was and always will be his mom, and that Bella is like a second mom to him. He said he didn't need another mom, but would like her as a friend. Even though it hurt Rose, she took my advice and told him that if that was all she could have, she would take it.

Last year Rose got married again for the third time. We were all surprised to find out that Phil was a garbage man, but Rose seemed happy. He has been very good to her, and even Cam likes him. The time since then has been hard, but everyone is learning from the experience. Cam now stays with Rose for one weekend every other month. Rose has just started to speak to Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper again. Alice has forgiven her, but she still doesn't want to spend too much time with her.

The hardest thing for Bella happened just nine months ago. Harry passed away from pancreatic cancer. Sue died three months later of a massive heart attack. Jane had continued with her two-week long visits every six months. I guess there was no rest for the wicked. Seth and Leah took the news well, however Bella and I still took them to see a therapist. Both Seth and Leah said the same thing: Sue was, by all accounts, nothing more than a stranger to them. The only thing they knew for sure was that Sue was someone who hurt Bella in the past.

The twins chose to not go to the funeral. I, on the other hand, had to go because Bella wished to pay her last respects and I'd never let her go alone. Bella paid for everything, and Harry and Sue are buried beside each other in an old family plot by their parents. They both have a headstone with only their names on it.

I hear Seth and Leah talking and it brings me back to the here and now. They're all unpacked and organized in the college dorms, and today Bella and I will leave them here as they mark their way into their adult lives. Bella has been showing great courage all the way through.

We held a joint graduation party for them as they both ended up with 4.0 grade point averages. They both refused the scholarships they were offered, and requested that they be given to less fortunate students. They both know that the whole family has been putting money into their college funds every month for the last several years. They also both worked at Midnight Sun and at Bella's school for the past two years, so they've been adding their own money to the fund, as well.

I sigh deeply, looking around the room at both Seth and Leah's stuff. I feel a little better knowing that they will be sharing a dorm room, and that Sammy, who has been here for two years, will be their Resident Advisor. I smile as I close the door and make my way to Bella, Seth, and Leah, who are right outside.

"I love both of you; you too, Sammy. I'm so proud of you. I swear I will be here for you if you ever need me," Bella sobs out. I pull her to me, kissing her head as I watch Leah lean into Sammy, trying to hide her own tears.

"I put the boxes that Jane gave you in your bedside drawers; remember to use them," I chuckle as both Seth and Leah's faces get red.

Last week we had a family and friends dinner at Midnight Sun, and once again, I closed for the night since there were more than fifty of us all together. I didn't even hide my chuckle at Jane's parting words to Seth. She handed him and Leah both a very large box of condoms before telling Seth that if he got a girl pregnant out of wedlock, she would personally cut off his dick. Seth just looked at her while Sammy laughed. His laugher, however, died off when she turned to him and said that it would be twice as bad for him if he got Leah pregnant out of wedlock. He and Leah yelled that they weren't even dating, but we all rolled our eyes, knowing that it wouldn't be long before they were. They have both dated other people, but always seem to be closer to each other than anyone they have dated. I'm kind of happy with that, as I know Sammy would never hurt her and already puts her first. That's partly why he doesn't have a girlfriend – because when he did, Leah still came first.

I let Bella go so that she can hug them each one more time. I watch as she pulls them close to her, almost as if she's afraid to let them go.

She pulls away, and I see Seth chuckle. "Come on, Bells, we'll see each other all the time." Seth always calls Bella, 'Bells' when he's overcome with feelings or emotions.

"I'm going to miss you, Mom, so much," Leah cries out, wrapping herself around Bella.

I watch Seth chuckle more while shaking his head. "Jeez, girls! We're going to college, not dying. You know as well as I do that we'll be seeing each other a lot. Bells, don't worry. I'll let you know when I have loads of washing to do and need a decent dinner."

I frown at Seth, and just as I'm about to reprimand him, Sammy slaps him hard on the head. "Seth, stop been an ass. There is no one here to show off for, and we all know that you'll miss your mom just as much, if not more, than Leah will. And not just because she feeds you and washes your clothes."

Seth looks down. "Yeah... Bel – Mom, I am going to miss you loads, and you know I love you."

Bella nods her head at him and gives him a quick hug. Seth is now my height, so Bella can no longer reach his head to kiss him.

"All right, we're going to head home now. Both of you stay out of trouble, you hear? I love you both, and I am so proud of you." They both nod their heads at me as I hug them. "Sammy, keep an eye on my princess here. You know the drill for any guys?"

Sammy smiles and nods his head at me.

"The same with Seth here. Leah, keep him safe – no bimbos." Leah smiles at me before grinning at Seth, who just rolls his eyes.

"Jeez! When will you all learn? I like a girl with something upstairs, and I'm not talking about a good set of tits."

This time, both Sammy and Bella slap Seth on his head.

"No more hanging out with Uncle Emmett!" Bella demands.

After another round of fast hugs, we get in the car to leave. Bella and I wave to them as we go by.

On the drive home, Bella is really quiet. "Come on, baby. We'll see them again soon. We still have Remy and AJ at home."

She nods her head and sniffs.

"Baby, what can I do to cheer you up?"

She chuckles, shaking her head. "I don't know – um – how about pulling the car over and fucking my brains out so I can't even remember my own name?"

I swallow, feeling the tightness grow in my pants. Pulling the car over as far as I can, I smile as Bella's eyes widen. I smirk at her. "I am all for pleasing you, baby." I smile as I watch Bella get out of the car with a chuckle. I get out and come around the car. Grabbing her hand, I lead us into the forest on the side of the road. As soon as we're deep enough in the trees, I push her up against a large, smooth boulder. Over the years, our sex life has only flourished. I still can't get enough of her. We normally only make sweet love to each other, but there are days when we just really get down and dirty. Bella makes me feel insatiable, and on average, we make love or flat out fuck on a daily basis. We definitely have a very active and healthy sex life, and I love it at times like this where she is relinquishing all control to me.

Her body is firmly against the boulder, and my mouth is firmly attached to hers. I drive my tongue into her mouth in the same stroking action that my hand is rubbing her cloth-covered pussy. Using my right hand, I pull her hair just enough to tilt her chin up to the sky and move my mouth down her throat, nipping and licking at her collarbone as my left hand is busy removing her pants. Once her pants are on the ground at her feet, my fingers make purchase with her wet folds. Stepping on the edge of her pants, I pull her right leg free from them to give myself a little more room to move. I pump three fingers into my girl with my right hand, and I use my left hand to undo my pants. As my pants pool at my feet, my cock springs free, weeping to be inside its home.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard, baby, you'll forget your name," I say as I turn her to face the boulder. Standing behind her, I use my foot to move her feet shoulder width apart. With my right hand on her hip and my left on her back, I pull her back and bend her forward at the same time.

"Brace yourself, baby," I say as a warning before I push deeply into her soaked heat.

I love that this stretch of road is easy to hide on. This isn't the first time we've fucked in this forest, either. I love listening to my girl as she screams out how much she loves my cock. With every pant and moan, I want to fuck her harder. The intense pleasure I'm feeling is pushing me closer to my release, but first I need to give my girl the satisfaction she is striving for.

"Oh, baby, rub your clit for me," I say as I stroke her puckered hole above my cock with my juice-covered thumb. She starts whimpering louder as her fingers begin manipulating her bundle of nerves. I feel her walls start trembling, and I slowly push the tip of my thumb into her ass as I thrust into her sopping cunt. The more of my thumb and cock she takes in, the more she screams out in pleasure. I'm thrusting my cock and thumb in tandem, and I can feel her falling over the edge. Her walls squeeze me so hard it feels like my cock is in a vice as she screams out my name. I thrust into her once more and unload ribbons of my seed inside her dripping pussy. I lean against her back slightly, but I'm able to keep most of my weight off of her.

"Fuck, baby, that was amazing," I whisper in her ear.

"You're always amazing," she whispers back.

**~HCV~**

We arrive home and Bella still has the normal afterglow on her face from her climax. We open the door and stop, because standing there with his arms folded is Seth.

"What are you doing here, Seth?"

He looks at me and then at Bella. "Oh, not much. I've been here for an hour waiting for you, and worrying something was wrong. Please, do tell what it was that made you take almost two hours for a twenty minute trip. Well, ten with the way that Dad drives."

Bella and I gulp as we look at him.

He moves over to Bella and pulls something from her hair. "You know what – never mind. Please don't tell me. By this," he says, holding up a leaf, "I probably don't want to know." Seth hands Bella the leaf that he just pulled out, and she blushes, hiding her face behind the curtain of her messy hair.

I shake my head, but then remember that we – Bella and I, that is – are the parents. "Hey, we're married, so we don't have to explain ourselves. Anyway, why aren't you in your dorm getting ready for tomorrow?"

Seth looks down to the floor. "I forgot something."

Bella gives him a half smile. "See, Seth! If you made a list..."

Seth covers Bella's mouth and shakes his head. "No, Mom, I forgot this."

I watch as he picks her up, hugging her tightly to him.

"I love you, Mom – so much. I'll miss you everyday – I can't stand the thought of being away – even thinking about – because if I do – I will never leave – then you'll be stuck with me – even when I'm ninety," Seth sobs out.

He continues to hold her in his arms. I hear her whisper something in his ear, and smile at the way his mother's love shines in his eyes. After a short time, he places her on the floor and kisses her head.

"Well... Yeah, I forgot that, Mom. I'm going to miss you, too, Dad."

I nod my head at him

"Which is real fu..." Seth stops himself before swearing. "Because, well, Dad, I'll see you at college all the time. I'll see you both because we're still having family dinners here every Wednesday, and the big family dinner once a month at Grandpa and Grandma's."

Bella nods her head before adding to his speech. "Don't forget we work together every Tuesday night at Midnight Sun."

Seth nods his head. "That's what I mean. We're going to see each other all the time – I don't get why this so hard."

I try to smile, knowing that this has been hard for all three of them, but everyone understands that this was for the best. Leah and Bella talked most of the week. Seth, on the other hand, has been more like me and pushed it away while pretending that he was fine.

"Okay, well I better get back... Leah and Sammy want to have pizza and enjoy our last night together before being full-time college students. See you tomorrow, Dad. And Mom, I'll call you first thing." Seth hugs Bella again and kisses her head before walking to the door, but still turns to wave at us once more.

"They're going to be all right, won't they?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, they'll be fine, baby. With Jane on campus, there won't be any problems there, and Sammy will cover their dorms."

Bella nods her head and looks to the door again. I feel bad for her because she has not spent more than two weeks away from them ever. Seth and Leah may not be her biological children, but they are her babies and always will be.

Looking for a way to cheer up my sad wife, I smirk and pull her into my arms. "Well, baby, we have the whole house to ourselves until tomorrow. I say we use this time wisely."

Bella pulls back a little and shakes her head at me while grinning. "What did you have in mind?"

I give her a shy smile and wiggle my brow at her.

She smirks and tilts her head to the side. "You want another sexy dance, don't you?"

I grin at her, nodding my head. "Well, give me an hour to set up," she says seductively.

I grin like a kid in a candy store as I watch her walk away, wiggling her hips at me.

**~HCV~**

**Another 10 years later**

God, where does the time go? Here I am, putting on my tux. Soon I'll be walking my butterfly down the aisle; today she gets married. She and Cam have been together for five years, now. We all knew before they did that this day would come. Remy has just started her second year of college and is due to turn twenty in December, which is next month.

It was five years ago, at Leah and Sammy's wedding, that Cam and Remy got together. I smile, remembering my princess' wedding day. Then just last year, she made me a grandfather. She had a little girl and named her Isabella, after her mom. We all call my beautiful granddaughter, Izzie-bee.

I look down the corridor and see Emmett, Lucy, Rose, and Phil standing with Cam. I walk up to the five of them, glad that they all became somewhat friends. Emmett and Lucy had a daughter and named her Caitlin. Rose and Phil had a daughter as well, and named her Kennedy. Ironically, the girls are close in age and have become the closest of friends. They are always hanging around with Alice and Jasper's adopted son, Colton, and together, they are the Three Musketeers.

After a few minutes, I leave them and head to see my little girl. I pass Seth, who has his arms wrapped around Corin, kissing her neck. I grin until I see Jasper growling at him because Seth is kissing his daughter. My mind flashes back to three months ago in July.

Seth is now a songwriter and singer. He has had ten number one hits in the seven years that he's been on the radio. He loves it very much, but I'm glad to say he keeps his feet on the ground. He had just wrapped up a tour with his band, and told us he met the women he wants to spend the rest of his life with. To say we were all surprised would be putting it mildly, as Seth has had many dates, but none that he declared his love for or even made his girlfriend. We all knew then that she must be something really special. But, when he walked into our home with Jasper's nineteen year old daughter, we were speechless.

"What the hell is going on, and what is that on your finger, Corin?" I watched as Seth hugged Corin closer to him and whispered in her ear.

She visibly relaxed as he spoke to her. "I asked her to be my wife, and she said yes," Seth said, looking right at Jasper.

Jasper moved over to Seth, but Bella stood in front of him. "Bella, she's only nineteen. She's just a baby and he's twenty-eight! He's far too old for her."

I didn't mean to, but I burst out laughing at the words he used. It brought back to mind my argument to him as to why I should stay away from Bella.

Jasper looked at me, and then when it clicked, he got a little whiter. "Sorry," he mumbled.

I held up my hand and shrugged my shoulder. "It just brought back an old memory of what we talked about when I found out Bella's age."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, the apple didn't fall far from the tree with Seth, here, did it? Like father, like son. Seems like Seth goes for the younger – much younger women – and in this case my little girl. Besides, it was different for you two because you didn't know her age – but he – he watched her grow up."

Jasper moved to step forward, but Bella pushed him back. "Just you hang on a minute, Mr. Whitlock. First of all, Seth's been away most of the past eight years, and he's only seen her a handful of times during that period. We all saw both of them together from a young age, and there was always a special closeness between them. It was clear to everyone from the get-go. As for him being like Edward – yes, yes, he is, because he would never have crossed that line if he didn't feel something strong for her – if he didn't love her. I know Seth, as do you, and like Edward, he will always put her first. He will shower her with affection, make her feel beautiful, and love and help her grow as a person – as a woman. They're in love! I understand that she's your daughter, but even you said once, a long time ago, that she's an old soul. Growing up, we only ever saw her coming out of her shell if she was around Seth. If you push this, she will run from you, Jasper. You have helped build and make Seth the man he is today, and I, for one, am proud of how he's turned out."

Jasper looks down at Bella. "You knew, didn't you?"

Bella nods her head. "It was easy to work out when Corin was so much happier after traveling, and then Seth said he was in love. It wasn't hard to figure out when they were in the same place and both suddenly so much happier than ever before."

It took a few hours to calm Jasper down, more so because Alice already knew, but Corin wanted to tell her dad herself. Jasper has been slowly coming around to the idea, but I know he finds it hard when he sees them kissing. I understand completely, because it's the same way I was when Leah and Sammy got together, and then Remy and Cam. I watch Jane chuckle as she walks past Jasper. She's been getting great enjoyment from this, and she tells Jasper that he's overreacting to the issue all the time.

I head up to see my baby helping my butterfly with the finishing touches. "You look so beautiful," Bella says while looking at Remy. I shake my head as I take in the sight of my daughter. She looks stunning in the same wedding dress that Bella wore at our wedding. Remy looks so much like Bella.

"You look magnificent, Butterfly." She smiles at me, and I look at Leah and Bella and little Izzie-bee. "You all look beautiful – all of my girls."

Bella walks up to me and hugs me.

I clear my throat. "It's almost time."

They all nod their heads at me. A few minutes later Bella goes to take her seat, being escorted by Seth. I smile as I watch Leah and Izzie-bee head off down the aisle as the music starts, and then smile once more at my sweet Remy before kissing her cheek and whispering how much I love her in her ear. She squeezes my arm and tells me not to let her fall. I smile and tell her I'd never let that happen. With a proud smile, I walk her down the aisle to her future.

The wedding was beautiful and went by quickly. We end up at Midnight Sun for the reception, once again, and I stand to do my fatherly duty by giving the first speech.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming and sharing in the joy of our wonderful Remy and Cam's wedding day. Cam, son, we knew the first time you saw Remy that you would love her forever. Emmett and I joked many times about how Remy owned you, heart and soul. Just as you own her. It just took you both fifteen years to realize it. Remy, you will always be our little butterfly, but today you have spread your wings and have finally flown to the one who is, and has always been, your soulmate. Remy, your mother and I, as well as your sister and brothers, all love you so much. None of us could think of a better man than Cam to carry your heart with him forever. Here's to my wonderful baby girl and my newest son-in-law," I say, raising my glass. Emmett makes a speech and surprisingly so does Phil.

I dance with all of my girls, Lucy, and even Rose. Right now, I have Bella back in my arms. "I can't believe our butterfly has gotten married, and Seth is clearly next. With AJ away at college now, what will we do with ourselves, baby?"

I watch her chuckle. "I'm more than sure you will keep me occupied somehow."

I wiggle my eyebrows at her. "Life is going to be a little quieter for us now."

Bella shakes her head. "When you get me going, I am never quiet," she growls seductively in my ear. I smile as I pull her face to mine and kiss her deeply as we continue dancing.

We spend the rest of the evening dancing and talking to the guests. It's almost the end of the night, and I'm putting things away when I spy AJ in the corner kissing some girl. I try to figure out who he's kissing as Bella walks up to me.

"Is that AJ?"

I nod my head at her, and just as I'm about to call to him, I see his hand going up the girl's top. I know that he's eighteen, but I still don't want to see that.

"AJ!" Bella yells before I do, and he turns to look at us sheepishly.

Both Bella and I gasp as we see Jane's sixteen year old daughter, Emily. She's embarrassed and is looking down at the floor, but I notice her hand at her neck, playing with a necklace. Then I see it's AJ's football team pendant.

"What the hell? When did this start?"

They both look at me. "A few months ago," AJ says. "I swear we only make out, that's it. We're taking it slow."

I watch Bella cross her arms over her chest. "Excuse me, young man. You had your hand sliding up the underside of her top. Playing with her breast is hardly making out or taking it slow."

AJ blushes and I hold back the chuckle. "She's only sixteen, and she may be of consensual age, but she's still very young. And don't forget the fact that you're in college and she still has another two years in high school, not to mention that she is Jane's daughter. Jane will kill you if you get her pregnant, and only God, himself, knows what she'll do if you upset her."

AJ nods his head. "Mom, I love her. I know we're still young, but I swear I do. I would never hurt her. We've been friends for ages now – you know that. Please, Mom?"

Both Bella and I look at each other and nod our heads. "AJ, no more hiding. You have to talk to Jane and Garrett about dating Emily. If you both feel old enough to have a make-out session like we just witnessed, then you're old enough to talk to Jane and Garrett about it." I nod my head in agreement with Bella.

"Mom, Dad, can't you tell them, please? I love Aunt Jane, but I've seen her angry, and well... I don't what to lose any of my – well – you know," he clears his throat, "cock – or any other body parts."

Bella frowns as a chuckle escapes my lips. "AJ, please call it something else, and there is no way in hell I'm telling Jane. Jesus, there is a large chance..." Bella doesn't get to finish what she was going to say because Jasper's booming voice rings out.

"Oh... hell, yeah! I'll tell her – please let me tell Jane about this!"

I look at Jasper, seeing what can only be described as an evil smile cross his face. "I can't wait to see how little Miss Jane takes it when it is her daughter dating an older guy. Ah, and there's only two years between those two, not nine. Oh well – ha – yeah, let's see if 'they're in love' sums this up," he says, using his hands to quote Jane's words to him about Corin and Seth. Jasper continues to talk as he walks away to tell Jane.

Emily looks at the door and so does AJ. I can see the panic running rampant in Emily's eyes. I watch my son rub her back as her hand goes to her hair.

"Please, Beeward..." I smile because all the kids seem to call Bella and me this when they talk to both of us. "Don't let Mom hurt him, please. I love him and he's my best friend. Please?"

Bella and I nod, and all of us look at the door after hearing glass break. "Anthony Jasper Emmett Masen! I swear when I get my hands on you, boy…"

We all loudly gulp. "Sounds as if she took the news well," I say, trying to break the tension. Bella nods her head at me as Jane appears at the door.

"Jane, did you hear the good news that AJ has asked Emily to be his girlfriend? He even gave her his football necklace. Isn't that sweet?"

Jane looks at Bella as if she's grown another head. "NO, it isn't sweet! It's a very pussy thing to do – just like his father."

Emily looks at Jane. "Ma, I love him. Please? You know that I don't have many friends. Everyone I know is scared of you, and the rest all think I'm a nerd. AJ always sat with me at school, and he always tells me I'm the most beautiful girl in the world. Mom, he asked me to be his girl and I said yes, because it's what I want. Please, Mom?"

Jane puts her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes. "I still need to talk to him. You know the rules, young lady."

Emily goes to argue but AJ steps forward. "Okay, Aunt Jane, lead the way."

I smile at my son, proud that he was stepping up. I also know that even if Jane really wants to kill him, she won't. I know she loves the kid the same as she loves Emily. After all, he is her godson.

I watch them walk out, and Emily comes over to us. "They'll be all right, right?"

Bella and I nod our heads. "They'll be fine. She's just doing the fatherly thing I did with Sammy and with Cam."

Emily smiles at me. "I wish she'd let Dad do it. There's no way he'd be as bad as her."

We all laugh and Bella hugs her. "Welcome to the Masen family."

Emily smiles back at her. "I hope so. I really do love AJ and I know he loves me, too."

A few minutes later, AJ and Jane walk back in, and AJ is all smiles. "Em, your mom said that I could drive you home."

Emily runs into her mom's arms, giving her a kiss before taking AJ's hand and walking out with him.

Bella and I look at Jane, both with unsure looks on our faces. "What? I already knew about it. I swear everyone must think that I'm blind or stupid. She's had his necklace on for two months now. And I heard the others on his team commenting that AJ gave his to some girl who wouldn't even put out. I also heard the way he stood up to them, telling them not to talk about his girl that way or anyway at all, for that matter. I knew then that he loved her, and that's all that matters to me. You do know, though, that a little fear is still a good thing when a guy is with your little girl. Don't you agree, Edward?"

I smile at her, nodding my head. "Yep, you're right. It's a good thing."

We walk back out and I see Jasper holding ice to his chin. Bella and I both look to Jane, who shrugs her shoulders. "He deserved it. Corin is the happiest I've ever seen her, and Seth's a great guy. He needs to let it go. And besides, don't you know the messenger always gets the shit end of the deal?"

The night ends, and we wave to Remy and Cam as they leave for their honeymoon.

After a short time, I drive Bella and myself home. I look at her and smile when I see her staring at me. We hold hands all the way home, and I help her out of the car after parking it.

"Well, with Seth and Corin, and AJ and Emily together, I don't think things will ever be quiet around here – at least not for a while."

I smile, nodding my head as we walk through the door. "Well, I know one thing for sure, and that's the fact that tonight this house isn't going to be quiet at all," I say before picking her up. "Because you, baby, will be screaming my name – again and again and again – all night long."

Bella kisses me and wraps her legs around my waist. I lean her up against the wall in the entryway. "In fact, I think we'll start right here."

**~The End~**

* * *

><p><em>I would like to take a few minutes to quickly thank everyone. First to the betas and pre-readers – all of you, thank you so much for all your hard work, time, and the effort that you have not only given the story, but both Kasi and I. I would also like to thank you, the readers, for reading this story, and especially for those of you that took time to review it. I read each and every one of them, and want to thank you for your kind words and feedback.<em>

_Lastly, a big thank you to KASI, who is an amazing person and a great friend. I love – really love – working with you. You have an amazing gift at writing, and I can't wait until we do another story together._

_Hugs and kisses, and remember: there are still out-takes to come. They will post under the name Enduring His Cimmerian View. Until then, one last THANK YOU. Nikky~_

_For once, I don't have a ton to say... LOL. Other than to reiterate the things that Nikky said to the Beta's and Pre-readers. Without that wonderful group of ladies, Nikky and I would look pretty stupid. So here you go…Thank you to: Jess2002, toocute24, MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, Sarah, Julie, Sunflower3759, Content1, and Alice's White Rabbit – this rather large group of ladies kept us looking great, and they all invested a lot of time into the completion of this story. Super special thanks to Sally and Jess, for ALWAYS being there to bounce ideas off of. We couldn't have asked for a better group of gals to work with._

_To our readers...wow, not a lot to say, except you have no idea what your kind words, thoughts, and praise did for us. We are so proud that we were able to not only tell you a story, but as many of you told us, made you feel the lives of the characters within our story. We love you all. Thank you._

_Nikky~ WOW, what can I say? You are truly one of the most diabolical minded girls I have had the honor of talking to. You give me so much credit, but you truly have a gift. I love you, girlie, and I am geared to write another story with you, you know I am excited about the things we have on the burner._

_Be sure you all put us on author watch, because with Nikky's diabolical mindset the next story could be better – although I think His Cimmerian View will be hard for us to top. Thanks again for all your love and support, Kasi~_


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